Frozen Heart
by kittykat2892
Summary: Adult believers are non-existent as all children grow out of their belief of the Guardians sooner or later. The children of Burgess are different. When Pitch returns looking to make the adult believers his next targets, it's up to the Guardians to protect them just as they did before... This time, however, the danger is much greater. Eventual JackxOC
1. Hurting Child

_A/N: This may or may not become a true, fluid story in the future. For now, it is a set of sequential drabbles about an OC that I'm almost positive is logical. If you are adverse to OCs, I only ask you give Raven a chance before passing judgment. This does turn into a JackxOC, but see how it works out. I don't think you'll be disappointed._

_Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians (c) Dreamworks / The Guardians of Childhood (c) William Joyce_

_/x/x/x/_

A light on the Globe in North's workshop flickers brightly, then dims to almost nothing before brightening once more. It is an anomaly the older Guardians have come to dread seeing. It means a child requires their help now more than they ever have in their short lives.

Jack floats in front of the light, watching it curiously. The child's location is somewhere in North America, and if Jack's estimates are correct, the child is actually located around Jack's home of Burgess, Pennsylvania.

"So what does this mean?" Jack breaks the silence, curiosity getting the better of him.

The silence is not broken, so Jack turns his bright blue eyes towards his fellow Guardians. None of them will look directly at him, sending a small shiver down Jack's spine. Did this little light reacting so strangely herald something so terrible?

Jack floats down to stand before North. "North, what does that mean?"

North looks helplessly at Jack. The jolly Russian had hoped their youngest member would not be introduced to this for some time. "Jack... As Guardians, we bring joy to children, you know this. Children will always need something to believe in. However, there are times children require our presence more than others."

Jack cocks his head, puzzled. North seems to be skipping around the subject, unwilling to spell it out for the Spirit of Winter.

"It might just be better to take him with us and show him, North." Toothiana pipes in quietly. "Either way, we need to go now. The light is beginning to go out."

North nods, motioning for Jack to follow them to the sleigh. Bunnymund solemnly opens a hole into the Warren tunnels. He'll meet them before they visit the child. Jack glances at Sandy, wondering if the small-statured man will tell him anything. The look on the usually serene face worries Jack more than anything said yet. Sandy stares at him sadly, shaking his head. He motions for Jack to follow, which the boy does quietly.

/x/x/x/

The ride to Burgess is quiet, broken only by the chattering Jack when the silence grows too deep. He wishes the others would just tell him what's going on. It is something extremely important, though, Jack has become aware of this. Sandy and Toothiana are usually on their rounds by now, but they are both sitting in North's sleigh, acting nothing like themselves.

Just as Jack expected, North lands the sleigh near Jack's frozen lake. It's the middle of winter in Pennsylvania. Jack joyfully jumps out of the sleigh, glad for the chance to stretch his legs in his own home. He lands on the top of his staff, waiting for the others to disembark. Bunnymund pops out of the ground just a few feet from the youngest Guardian, rubbing the back of his head.

"I take it you haven't told him?" The Pooka questions, looking from Toothiana to Sandy to North. None answer his question, though Sandy shakes his head. Bunnymund growls low in annoyance. "Fine then. I'll just have to tell him myself while we walk there."

Jack sighs in relief. He's finally going to learn what the big deal is. As the Guardian of Fun, all this solemnity was not endearing or interesting.

North moves into the lead with Toothiana flittering about his shoulders. Jack and Bunnymund follow them, with Sandy falling into position on Jack's free side.

"That little light you were so interested in, mate, is a child that is in desperate need of our help. Have you been home lately, Jack?"

Jack shakes his head no. His time has been spent at the North Pole, and wherever Winter called for him. He hasn't been home to visit Burgess for at least a week. Bunnymund sighs, his ears drooping as they walk down the streets.

Jack's nose tingles as he realizes there is a faint smell of ash and burned items lingering in the air. His heart skips a beat. "Bunnymund... Something bad's happened, hasn't it?"

Bunnymund sends Jack a pitying look. "This is going to be your first child like this, Frostbite. You can't let your emotions get the better of you. The child needs us to be happy, and to make him or her believe again. We aren't here to sadden them anymore than they already are."

Jack clutches his staff tighter. "What happened?"

Sandy tugs on Jack's hoodie. The Dreamsand above Sandy's head shows a picture of a house, followed by a picture of a fireplace. This picture is followed by the picture of a tombstone. Jack flinches.

"We are here." North's voice carries back to the lagging Guardians. Jack looks up at North and Toothiana, unsure about the situation.

"I don't know about this, guys..."

"Jack, you are Guardian. You must become accustomed to such things. It is Guardian's job." North explains gently, gripping his shoulder and leading him to the front of the house. He points to the window flickering with what looks like candlelight. "We will go through door. You three go through window."

Toothiana gently tugs Jack into the air. Jack refuses to look through the window at first, but morbid curiosity gets the better of him.

The room is dark, save for a candle on the night-stand beside the child's bed. From what light plays on the walls, Jack notices posters of kittens and drawings of flowers. Stuffed animals adorn the shelves alongside books of varying difficulty, though none are over the fifth grade level.

A muffled sob interrupts Jack's examination. Toothiana holds her hands to her lips, closing her eyes tight. Sandy pushes the window open, floating inside. Jack follows him hesitantly.

The child is a girl, and her face is buried in her pillow as she attempts to muffle her heart-wrenching sobs. Jack watches in something akin to horror as Sandy floats to her, sitting on the edge of her bed. The movement startles a gasp out of her as she jerks into a sitting position.

The girl's aquamarine eyes are puffy and red. She's been crying for some time. She rubs at them vigorously, attempting to hide any indication she has been crying.

"Th-The Sandman?" She whispers.

Sandy nods, smiling softly. He runs his hand through her dark-blue hair. The motion causes tears to pool at the corners of her eyes once more.

The girl rubs at her cheek, the tilting of her head showing her she has two more visitors.

"The Tooth Fairy?"

Toothiana flutters forward, grinning brightly. "Hey there!"

North and Bunnymund enter her room through the door before she can address Jack. The dull blue irises brighten slightly at the sight of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

"Where'd you come from?" The girl asks. Her voice is hoarse from crying.

"We come to see you, sweetie." North murmurs, approaching her bed and sitting in a chair placed beside it.

"What's your name, lil'un?"

The care and kindness in the Guardians' actions and words surprise Jack. Sure, he knows they care and protect the children of the world, but he has never been witness to such emotion from them. They're so busy with their jobs of making children happy, Jack didn't think they had time for calling on children personally. Realizing bad things do happen to children no matter how hard the Guardians try to keep them safe, Jack is happy they are willing to pay a midnight visit to children to comfort them.

What has happened in his absence from Burgess, Jack wonders as he watches the scene before him.

"'m Raven... Have you come to see me because I've lost mommy and daddy and Jay?" Raven's voice breaks on the mention of her family.

"Yes, dear, we want to help you however we can." Toothiana moves to where she flutters above the child.

Raven's lips quiver. "I want my mommy and daddy and Jay back." She whimpers.

"We cannot bring your family back, Raven." North responds sadly.

Raven's small body jerks as she falls forward, sobbing into the mattress. "It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Jack's heart aches as he watches the spectacle. So the Guardians comfort the children who lose their families and are unable to cope alone. These children need a strong sense of hope and good dreams. Otherwise, they'll fall into fear and darkness. Jack hesitantly shuffles forward, unsure if he will be able to do any good.

"I want my mommy and daddy!" Raven pleads, glancing from Guardian to Guardian. Sandy once again strokes her hair, while Toothiana rests her hand on her shoulder. The child winces at the touch, recoiling.

"I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help, Miss Tooth Fairy... But that side of my body hurts really bad..." Raven pulls the shoulder of her pajama shirt away from her skin, showing them reddened, blistered skin. "But mommy and daddy and Jay... They... They were... Their skin... It was hot! It was too hot!"

Before the older Guardians can so much as move, Jack has scooped the child into his arms, sitting where she has been sitting during their conversation. She gasps at the sudden contact, but doesn't complain as a cool, refreshing feeling washes over her tortured skin.

She turns to look into eyes blue enough to rival her own. For the first time, a smile graces the child's lips, and a warmth settles in Jack's chest knowing he was the cause of such a small, important thing.

"Jack Frost. Jamie told me you were real."

Jack grins at the name of his first believer. "He must be convincing."

"He told me you would have done everything to save my family if you were here."

Jack's grin becomes strained. "Was it fire, Raven?"

Raven nods, her eyes watering again. "I... It's my fault!" Raven clenches her fists in Jack's hoodie, hiding her face in his shoulder in shame.

"Hey now, hey now! How can it be your fault, lass?" Bunnymund breaks in, shaking his head in disbelief.

The response is muffled in Jack's hoodie, so he has to tell his fellow Guardians what the child says.

"She says she left the heater on, though her parents told her to be careful to turn it off."

Raven nods sadly into Jack's chest. The Spirit of Winter cradles the child in his lap, making sure to keep his emotions under control so he doesn't harm her. What was the odds of a fire starting in the middle of winter? How had Jack not known what was happening?

"You must not blame yourself, Raven. You aren't responsible for what happened." Toothiana breathes, her hand hovering over the child's.

Jack feels his hoodie growing wet. Raven is crying again. It almost makes Jack want to cry, knowing a child is having to experience something like this. It truly isn't fair. A child should have their parents until they were much older. They need someone to believe in once they stop believing in the Guardians. The parents take on that role of hero when the child grows too old to believe.

This child has no future hero for when her belief runs out.

Jack nuzzles the top of Raven's head with his nose, causing her to look up. "You know that old saying I'm sure you've heard about me?"

Raven shakes her head, a puzzled look crossing her features. Jack smiles, leaning down and gently nipping at her small nose. The spontaneity of the motion elicits a startled giggle from the girl. She immediately looks guilty at having laughed, while out of the corner of his eye Jack can see the surprised looks on the other Guardians' faces.

"I'm going to be hanging around here for awhile, okay? I actually live out at the lake in the woods. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about."

Raven nods, her eyes wide as she listens. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or just someone's shoulder to cry on, you can come find me. When you get sad, I'll make sure to do that again so I can hear that little laugh and see the bright smile I know you have."

The child watches him cautiously, but she can find no trickery in the confident look Jack gives her. "You're okay helping me?" She whispers. She looks from Jack to the other Guardians. All of them nod.

"For as long as you need us, we'll be here to help you. Just tell Frostbite here if you need someone aside from him." Bunnymund jerks his paw towards the white-haired boy.

Raven's eyes begin drooping. They notice Sandy has begun working his Dream magic, the Dreamsand floating around Raven's head. She blinks, a wide yawn catching her off-guard.

"Not every kid... gets to fall asleep in Jack Frost's lap." She murmured to herself before snuggling into Jack's hoodie and falling into a deep sleep. The Dreamsand above her head shows a family of four playing. This is her mother, father, and older brother playing with her before the fire killed them.

Jack doesn't have the heart to move the sleeping child, though he worries his temperature is much too cold for her. Toothiana flutters around him, wrapping the blanket expertly around Raven's small body.

He looks up, questions in his eyes. "Are we staying the night with her?"

North nods. "For tonight, yes. She deserves a safe night of dreams and comfort, no? Yetis can handle workshop."

"My Baby Teeth will be able to handle the children's teeth." Toothiana breathes, her eyes training on Raven's sleeping form. Sandy simply motions outside where the lines of Dreamsand reach to all the children in the small town and farther.

Jack agrees, blue eyes softening as he looks down at the softly snoring child.

It isn't fair children have to experience such traumatizing events. Jack promises himself he will do all he can to make sure this child believes in her heroes for as long as possible to make up for her lost family.

The ice elf closes his eyes, leaning against the wall for support as he offers support to the unlucky child.

/x/x/x/


	2. Dashed Hopes

/x/x/x/

Laughter fills the air as children play in the forest surrounding Jack's lake, weaving between the large trunks to avoid snowball missiles from the other children and the Spirit of Winter himself. Four years have passed since the death of Raven's family. Jack has kept his promise throughout the years, giving her comfort when it was needed and fun when she was too sad. Though Jack would never admit it to anyone, watching the children grow up pains him.

Jack is aware the children are reaching the age where they will no longer believe in the Guardians. It is this threat of disbelief that keeps the Spirit in Burgess for the majority of his time. He wants Jamie, Raven, and the other children to believe in him for as long as they possibly can. The children tell him they will always believe in him, though he only smiles sadly at their words before starting a snowball fight or a skating race to distract them.

Jack is in good spirits this day, putting his whole self into the fun he is giving the children of Burgess. He has pushed away the worrying that is so unlike the Guardian of Fun. He notices the children don't seem to be as interested in playing today as they have in past times, however.

"How about some ice skating, guys?" Jack calls cheerily, waving the children to join him at the lake's edge.

The twins seem truly interested in this suggestion, tugging their skates on and jumping onto the ice before the others put on one skate. Jack smiles brightly as he watches them stumble onto the ice. After four years of hanging around Jack Frost, they should be pros at winter activities such as this, though only the twins can be counted as expert skaters. At least they all have fun.

A tap on Jack's arm has him kneeling beside Jamie, a curious look on his face. Jamie doesn't look well, his cheeks pale.

"Jamie, are you okay? You're pale... Maybe you should head home for the day?" Jack suggests, unwilling to allow any of the children to get sick on account of him. Jamie shakes his head urgently.

"It's not me, Jack. You need to know this..." Jamie's voice fades away as he glances towards his friends on the lake. Jack follows his gaze, seeing Raven hasn't joined the others. She is instead sitting on a fallen log, arms crossed over her knees and an indecipherable look on her face.

"Raven's moving."

Those two words send an uncanny numbness down Jack's spine. Children come and go all the time on the whims of their families. He has lost and gained new believers and friends since he was initiated into the Guardians, but never someone so close to him.

"But why? Where?"

Jamie frowns, closing his eyes tightly. "You know she's been moved around different families in town. No one... No one wants to keep her until she's grown up. She's being sent to an aunt or an uncle... in Florida..."

Florida was a state Jack did his best to stay away from. He didn't want to test the possibilities of what would happen to him in an environment that hot. He would be unable to visit her except on the coldest days in the state, and even that was pushing his comfort zone.

"When is she leaving?" Jack mutters, watching Raven closely. Now that he knows she's moving, an understanding of why the children aren't as cheerful rises within him. A close friend is leaving them, and they feel helpless. They have been Raven's surrogate family for the past four years, and she still needs them. Jack finds himself growing upset that none of the adults in Burgess are willing to keep her safe and happy.

"Tomorrow. We just found out today. She didn't want to tell us until the last minute..."

Jack nods. "Go and play with your friends, Jamie. Let me talk to her and see if there's anything that we can do." Jamie's face relaxes in relief. Jack can fix this problem, Jamie believes. Jack can keep their family together. He rushes onto the ice to join his friends, whispering to them excitedly how Jack will make everything better.

Jack moves towards Raven. The girl notices his approach, but simply lowers her head so her hair covers her eyes.

"Hey, Raven." Jack sits beside her, resting his staff in the crook of his arm as he leans forward to try and catch her eye. She turns her head away from him. Jack pushes away the growing hurt from the action, knowing Raven must be just as upset about her situation as Jack and her other friends.

"How long have you known?"

"A week." Raven's whisper carries to Jack's ears.

"You should have told us. I could have..." Jack stops speaking. What could he have done if he'd known earlier than now?

Raven snorts at the silence. "You know there's nothing you could or can do to make this any better, Jack... I'm leaving, and I won't see any of my friends or you ever again..." Her shoulders begin shaking, little gasps escaping her parted lips.

"That's not true! I can come visit you! You know it's not a problem for us Guardians to travel around the world in the blink of an eye." Jack tries his hardest to cheer her up, he really does.

It doesn't work.

Raven turns, her eyes hardened into an icy glare. It shows she is not like the other children, that she is able to pull off such an adult look at the soft age of twelve. Jack quiets, waiting.

"I don't want you to melt, Jack. You've told me before you don't know what hot weather will do to you. I don't want you to die because I'm selfish."

Jack tries again. "Well, then maybe I can have ol' Kangaroo bring you to North's workshop and I can see you there? You know the other Guardians love having you around, and I'm sure North would let you try out all the new toys the Yetis have created."

The idea looks to interest Raven as her glare softens, but then she shakes her head. "It won't be the same. Jack, I don't _want _to move! I want to stay here! Can't I stay with you? Or with Santa? Or even with Bunny? I don't want to move to stupid Florida! I don't want to leave my friends!"

Jack is left speechless. Oh, he wishes he can take Raven in, to take care of her so she won't have to move away from everything she loves.

Instead of answering, Jack slips his hand into her warm palm, pulling her to her feet. She resists, but he but he is stronger than her. He scoops her up, holding her tightly against his chest before speaking to the wind.

Raven yelps in surprise as they leave the ground, hands tightening in Jack's hoodie as she tries to push herself tighter against the Spirit of Winter. Jack doesn't go too high, just high enough to skim the top branches of the trees. He doesn't want to frighten her, but to give her a memorable experience to last her for the years to come.

"I've promised you for years now that I would take you flying, Raven." Jack says, resting his cheek against the top of her head. She has hidden her face in his shoulder. "I won't drop you, Raven. Take a look."

Raven cautiously turns her head, opening her eyes slowly though she refuses to relinquish her death grip on Jack's neck. The sun is closer to the horizon, signaling it is past mid-day. The other children will have to go home soon, but Jack refuses to let Raven go home in such a mood.

"This will be different than flying in North's sleigh, so if you get too scared, be sure to tell me so I can fly lower, okay?"

Raven bites her lip, looking up at Jack. "I trust you, Jack."

Jack grins. He speaks to the wind, and the two begin flying over the frozen treetops. Raven whimpers, but bravely keeps her head turned outwards to watch the passing trees and sky.

The Guardian doesn't know what he can possibly say, so allows his actions to speak for him. The two fly over the town of Burgess, the houses small to Raven's wondering eyes. The people look as small as ants, and Raven finds herself wishing they have as much power as the small creatures. The town is quickly behind them as Jack takes her farther than she has journeyed before, sparkling snow and trees over-taking the civilized areas.

"Where do you want to go?"

Raven sinks into deep thought, wondering where she would like to visit. After a few moments of silence, the dark-haired girl huffs in annoyance.

"I don't know. Do you know anywhere pretty?"

Jack can't help the affectionate smile that spreads across his lips. Children are so innocent. He wishes they never have to grow out of their dreams of beauty and light.

"I'm sure I can find somewhere for you. Be sure to hold on tight."

The place Jack settles on is about twenty minutes outside of town the opposite way of his lake. The clearing is encircled by trees that have grown for close to a hundred years. The clearing is covered in a small blanket of snow which will increase by a few inches before the two leave. Jack sets Raven on her feet, watching her explore the new area in wonder. The animals that call the clearing home know Jack, but are wary of the new intruder. Raven's honest interest in them soon draws a few birds from their nests that flitter around her, chirping as they inspect her.

Jack leans against his staff, watching the sight with a gentle smile. Raven looks at him over her shoulder, her smile bright and happy unlike her previous mood. The change of area does wonders for her. If only this happiness didn't have to end...

/x/x/x/

Jack keeps his hand over Raven's interlocked fingers, making sure she doesn't fall from his back as they fly back to his lake. The sun is beginning to set, the sky blending into crisp oranges, reds, pinks, and purples. Raven's eyes are trained intently on the spectacle. She has seen the sunset from the ground, but never from the air.

The wind takes them higher at Jack's command so Raven can see the full beauty of nature's cycle.

"Jack, I don't want to leave this." She whispers in his ear. He closes his eyes, blank on what he can possibly tell her.

When he re-opens them, the sun has half-way disappeared beyond the horizon.

"Can't we just follow the sun, Jack? So the day I have to leave never comes?"

Jack chuckles at her child-like reasoning. "If it were possible, I would."

The wind lessens, letting Jack float lower and lower, the sun disappearing completely as they reach the ground. Raven slides from his back, moving towards the edge of the lake. She is sad again, by the droop evident in her shoulers, though she is no longer crying.

"Raven, you'll be okay. The other Guardians will be able to watch over you. You know how to call them if you need them."

"But I don't _want _them! I want _you_!" She turns, her little eyes cold and enraged. "They're fun to be around... I like to paint eggs with Bunny, and I like playing with Baby Tooth. I like the piggyback rides from the Yetis and Santa, and I like seeing the dreams Sandy can create. But they aren't _you_! You're fun, and happy, and you actually have _time_ for someone like me!"

Jack is taken aback by her outburst. She clenches her hands into fists, stomping her foot. "My stupid aunt doesn't want me! Why is she taking me now, after four years, huh?! If she cared, wouldn't she have wanted me to live with her right after my family died? Wouldn't she, Jack?!"

Now the tears come, and Raven rubs furiously at them as if they burn her skin. "I'm wanted here. I'm happy here. Why do the grown-ups want to ruin that? Why won't you let me stay with you, Jack?"

Jack shakes his head, floating forward to kneel in front of the upset child. "You can't stay with me, Raven. You may be more attuned to my cold than the others, but you'd soon get frostbite, or hypothermia. I would rather you be healthy than get sick living with me." He grips her shoulder, meeting her eyes with difficulty. It is always hard to dash a child's dream, especially when it has never been done before.

"You have to go, if that's what the adults are telling you... I can't take care of you like you need to be taken care of. I'll do my best to visit you for as long as you believe, Raven, I promise..."

The look of destroyed hope breaks Jack's heart. He's the Guardian of Fun, he shouldn't have to tell a child this! Why do adults have to ruin everything, making him break the heart of a child he's protected and cherished for years?

Raven shoves Jack away from her, throwing off his balance so he lands in the snow. He looks at her, bewildered hurt flashing across his eyes. She glares at him, tears streaming down her face.

"I hate you!" She screams, stomping her foot again before running back towards town, her sobs echoing back to a crushed Jack Frost.

/x/x/x/

Jack doesn't have the chance to see Raven again before she leaves. Winter calls him to other places in the States, so by the time he arrives home, she's three days departed.

Her final words still resonate painfully in his heart, a cruel mockery of the peaceful scene in the woods.

/x/x/x/

That month was the first time in many years the residents of Burgess, Pennsylvania had to deal with freezing rain. The adults found it annoying and dangerous. Jamie and the other children realized it was Jack Frost's sadness manifesting without his control over the friend that was now out of their reach.

/x/x/x/


	3. Fears of a Guardian

_A/N: There are so many people from differing countries reading this, and it amazes me to see the extent of interest in the Guardians, and in turn my writing. I'm not a review monger by any means, but other writers have to know what a warm feeling it is when someone does review something you're working exceptionally hard on, whether it's a critique or a simple compliment saying how you liked my detail or my grammar. Stuff like that. Updates will continue regardless of the amount of reviews, favorites, and the like, but it would make me feel better to know for sure people are interested and enjoying what I write._

_This chapter is a bit different from the previous two, as it doesn't feature Raven but focuses on Jack's interaction with the Guardians and the fears aging brings him (though of course not his aging, as he doesn't age). I apologize for the over-whelming blast of angst. It's what my Muse wants, though, so I have to write what she gives me. Otherwise she'd get mad, haha. She does promise me a happy ending, if that makes anyone feel better. And this chapter isn't quite so much angst by the end of it._

/x/x/x/

Time continues on. Seasons come and go. Jack becomes more accustomed to his role as the Guardian of Fun, and more children begin to believe in him. It's a feeling he never imagined in his long years of solitude. At least one child will know who he is in any given place he visits. These children usually spread their belief to their friends whenever he comes to call. He's never felt better or stronger since first becoming Jack Frost.

Years have passed. Every year winter leaves his home of Burgess, Jack worries this is the year Jamie and the other children will stop believing in him. They're now in high school, while Sophie is about to enter middle school. Jack knows the little blonde's belief will not waver for some time yet. Bunnymund pays her a personal visit every Easter. She's admitted to North and Bunnymund, albeit embarrassedly, that she enjoys Easter more than she does Christmas. North had laughed, clapping Bunnymund on the back in a good-natured way at this exchange. None of the Guardians let the Pooka forget his admirer, much to his dismay.

Jack smiles, re-acquainting himself with his lake home. He finds the foreign feeling of worry bubbling in his chest. For the first time since meeting Jamie all those years ago, he doesn't want to meet with the kid. It's a stupid fear. Plenty of kids believe in him now, and the Guardians have proved they won't abandon him. There's no reason for the fear Pitch tried to manipulate six or seven years ago to still exist...

But what if Jamie doesn't believe this year?

/x/x/x/

Jack puts off visiting the kid and his sister, bringing a healthy dose of frost to the town and surrounding areas before telling the wind to fly him to North's workshop. He could use a bit of fatherly advice.

The Yetis have grown to trust Jack in the years he's been visiting since he was welcomed into the Guardians. Phil the Yeti tends to follow him around, playfully nudging him at times when he gets too close to a work of art the Yeti would rather stay in one piece.

"Ah, Jack! To what do I owe pleasure?" North's voice booms through the large space. Jack staggers under the weight of the friendly pat on the back from the jolly Russian. Jack grins, rubbing his sore shoulder.

"I was wondering what new things you'd come up with since I last visited, North. Mind showing me?"

"For you, Jack? Of course. Come, come!" North motions energetically for the ice elf to follow him. Jack waves to Phil, who can now get back to his work without fear of something happening to the workshop. The kid Guardian may mean well, but that doesn't mean he won't cause accidental chaos.

Jack trails after North, pulling his hood up to cover his down-cast eyes. As soon as they enter North's personal workshop, the big man shuts the door and turns to Jack with a contemplative gaze.

"There is something wrong, yes? What can old North do to help, Jack?"

Jack sighs, swinging his staff up to rest along his shoulders, inadvertently freezing an Elf with the motion. He winces, muttering an apology to North and the Elf, before floating in the air with his legs crossed.

"It's been around seven years since we first met Jamie..."

North's eyes clear in understanding. Jack has never had to worry about children losing their belief in him, and the idea frightens him. The Russian turns to stand in front of the crackling fireplace, a thoughtful look giving Jack some hope. Maybe Old St. Nick _can _help him.

"Children lose belief, not because we disappear from their sight, but because of peers. Jamie is in what is called 'high school,' yes?" A nod from Jack. "That is time all children lose belief. You have been lucky with Jamie. His belief in you, in us, has never wavered. It seems impossible his belief will ever waver, but you must prepare just in case."

Jack shuts his eyes tightly. He has depended heavily on the children of Burgess. As his first believers, they hold a special place in his heart, and they always will.

"I cannot tell you it will be easy, Jack. It never becomes easy. It only grows bearable. One thing the children do into their adulthood is pass their childhood belief onto their own children. One day, you will be playing in the snow with Jamie's son or daughter. It will be bittersweet. Only time can teach you how to best handle it."

Jack gives North a pained look. "How do you handle it?"

North smiles sadly. "I continue to create. I create children's dreams, and offer it to the next generation. The children never truly disappear that way."

The Spirit of Winter still looks unsure. North glances out the window at the falling snow. It is getting dark. There's not much more he can do for the younger Guardian. It's a lesson all the Guardians had to learn sooner or later, and there is no truly successful way of softening the blow.

"Maybe you should talk to other Guardians if you are still worried, Jack. They may be able to offer something I cannot."

Jack nods, dejected. Before he leaves, North gathers him in a bear hug, a squeak of indignant surprise escaping pale lips.

"We are here for you, Jack. It will be sad, but we will be here to help you through it.

You are not alone anymore."

/x/x/x/

Jack floats after the ever-hyper Toothiana. He can't help but wonder if some of her Baby Teeth are spiking her food or drink with sugar. The Baby Tooth that has bonded with him flitters just above his shoulders, chittering in his ears. She senses his discontent, and it pains her.

"So what brings you here, Jack?" Toothiana is suddenly fluttering in front of him, a bright smile on her lips.

"Well... North said to talk to everyone else for advice, so-"

Toothiana turns to a few Baby Teeth that approached her, barking out addresses as if from nowhere. When they fly away, her attention returns to Jack. "Sorry about that..." She grins sheepishly.

Jack shakes his head. "It's no problem. I know you're busy."

"So what do you need advice over?"

Jack walks along the edge of the little area on which they're standing (or flying, in the case of Toothiana). The pained look he sends over the edge has Toothiana forgetting her Tooth Fairy duties momentarily, a well of motherly worry bubbling over.

"What do you do when children stop believing in you?"

Toothiana frowns. "You're worried about Jamie."

Jack nods at the statement, feeling slightly annoyed at being so torn up over something that was inevitable, if he took North's words to heart.

"Well, as the Tooth Fairy, I have access to the memories of the children. I've never grown quite attached to any one child as you have with Jamie, but when I remember a certain child, I find their teeth, and look at their memories. They get a reminder of a wondrous time past, and my heart stops aching for awhile."

Jack looks over the fairy. Perhaps that's one of the reason she puts herself whole-heartedly into her work. She doesn't want to stop and think. It may also explain why she's been out of the field for so many years.

Toothiana flies up to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "If he's stopped believing in you, Jack, you're welcome to come here anytime and look at his memories of your time together. I don't know how much it will help, but..."

"Thanks, Tooth. It means a lot you're willing to help me." Jack forces a grin. Toothiana knows its fake. She sends Jack off with a tight hug, emotions roiling for their youngest member.

/x/x/x/

Bunnymund glares at Jack, who is floating just out of the Pooka's reach.

"Whaddya want, Frostbite? Can'tcha see I'm busy?"

Jack simply watches him. Discomfort slivers through Bunnymund at the kid's silence. He sighs, crossing his arms.

"Get down 'ere. If it's that important ya need to bug me, then get out with it."

Jack floats lower, but doesn't let his feet touch the ground. Bunnymund doesn't particularly get along with the ice elf, so it's always best to keep some distance in case a speedy getaway is required.

"Well?" Bunnymund taps his foot impatiently. He has better things to do than babysit the younger Guardian.

Blue eyes close, re-opening with Jack's gaze askance from Bunnymund's. The Pooka waits as patiently as he's able. For all that he dislikes the little blight, Jack is still a Guardian, and Bunnymund considers himself the more mature of the two. If Jack has a problem, Bunnymund needs to help the younger to the best of his ability.

"What will you do if Sophie stops believing in you?"

Bunnymund's paws clench, and he has to fight the urge to jump-kick the kid. Disbelief is a topic the Guardians tend to steer clear from, and for the whelp to come to him just like that? The anger dies when he sees the look he's receiving from Jack.

The kid actually looks sad. He hasn't been this down since...

"Frostbite, ya really think Jamie and Sophie'll stop believin' in us?"

Jack smirks sarcastically, lifting his head to look at the Warren's sky. "Am I really that open a book?" He mutters.

Bunnymund settles on his haunches, watching the other Guardian closely. "I don't think the others 'ave told ya, but we usually don't bring up children losin' their belief in us. I guess ya could call it close to taboo. But we should'ave already had this talk with ya."

Jack sends his companion an apologetic look, but the Pooka waves him off.

"There ain't nothin' to be sorry for, you didn't know. Which is our fault. So I guess you've talked with Tooth and North, huh?" A nod of acquiescence from Jack.

"Well, I won't be able to spell out butterflies and rainbows for ya, mate. Children do grow out of their belief of us, and it hurts. It hurts like hell, Frostbite. My suggestion is you come to terms with it. I've yet to see an ankle-biter that continues believing in us into adulthood."

Jack nods, his lips tightening into a frown. Bunnymund sighs, scratching at one of his ears. "Kid, ya know I'm not gonna have any feel-good advice for ya. I can only tell ya what I do, and that won't work for ya. I know children will stop believin' sooner or later, so I don't allow myself to get close. Sophie... It'll break my heart when Sophie stops believing, but I'm preparing for it even now. Some days I don't feel like doing anything, knowing she'll lose her belief, but then I keep going for the other children."

Bunnymund stands, sympathy written over his face. "It'd be selfish of us to stop doing what we do because we lose the bonds with the first children to believe in us, or those close to us. Future children don't deserve that, mate. We still have a job to do, even after our first believers move on. Remember that..."

/x/x/x/

Sandy listens to Jack intently, his face solemn. Jack may have difficulty understanding the little man sometimes, but he realizes the Sandman is the most understanding, or at least empathetic, of the older Guardians.

"Am I... Am I acting stupid, Sandy?" Jack finally asks, clutching his staff and watching the dream maker with tired eyes. Sandy shakes his head furiously, giving an encouraging smile to the frost child.

Instead of 'speaking' to Jack, Sandy motions for the younger Guardian to follow him. Jack almost refuses, but curiosity gets the better of him. Soon Jack and Sandy are zipping through the night sky, seeming to race each other though Jack has no idea where the Sandman is taking him.

It's the first time that day Jack is able to let go and laugh freely.

Sandy smiles upon hearing Jack laugh. As much as the other Guardians are loathe to admit, having their youngest member so depressed effects them all. Toothiana had been to visit him earlier in the day, almost immediately after Jack left the Tooth Palace, if Sandy was correctly estimating the time. She had pleaded with the Sandman to help Jack when he came to the dream maker.

Sandy was going to help Jack the best way he knew was available.

The two stop above the town of Burgess. Jack stares down at the streets with some trepidation. Night is beginning to settle in the small town. The night owls return to their homes, while other homes darken as the owners go to bed. Sandy floats in front of Jack, pointing to Jamie's house. The only light reflects from a bottom room, the upper rooms dark.

"Sandy-"

Sandy puts his finger to his lips, effectively shushing the ice spirit. The Sandman then waves his arms, and his dream sand floats to the many houses with children who believe. Jack can't watch, turning his attention instead the Moon peeking out behind some clouds at the two Guardians. Jack almost wants to ask the Man in the Moon his take on the situation, but knows a forthcoming answer would be anything short of a miracle.

A tug on Jack's hoodie distracts him. Sandy watches him with a slightly perturbed look, little arms crossed. Jack grins, rubbing at his nose in embarrassment. The golden man simply rolls his eyes, uncrossing his arms and smiling before pointing once again to Jamie's house.

Jack looks, and relief courses through him.

There stands Jamie and Sophie waving eagerly to the two Guardians from the front yard.

So maybe he'll have to get used to the idea his first believers will stop believing in him one day. That doesn't mean the world stops turning. Life goes on.

For now, a snowball to Jamie's face, followed by Jamie's spluttered indignation and Sophie's laughter, is everything Jack could ask for.

All the while, the Man in the Moon watches quietly, firmly keeping the secret that will soon change the Guardians' lives.

/x/x/x/


	4. Visit

_A/N: Thank you to both my reviewers so far, and the people who have favorited/alerted the story. Just knowing there're a few people interested in what happens is more than enough for me to continue (of course it helps Raven will bug me continuously until I finish her story, so yeah...). Specifically to my anonymous reviewer, thank you for the enthusiastic compliment! I'm glad to hear my writing resembles a published author's writing (or at least that's what I gathered from your review). As an English major who desperately wants to make writing her profession, that really warmed my heart._

_Let me also state I don't know how long this will be. I know how I want it to end, and I know the basics of what I want in between now and then. Everything else is simply coming to me when I'm inspired, which is how the last chapter was written. Would anyone be willing to leave their opinions on my use of the active voice instead of the passive voice in telling this story? I know it's an odd mechanism that's rarely used on here, but as an English major, I've had problems with the active voice and am trying to train myself to use it fluidly._

/x/x/x/

Jamie is nowhere in sight, and this worries Jack. Jamie has made it a point at the beginning of every winter vacation to seek out the ice elf, to convince both of them he still believes though he is now in his early twenties.

Jack's first believer has defied all odds, completely taking the other Guardians by surprise. In all the years they have been Guardians, no child has ever believed as long as Jamie or Sophie. It gives the Guardians a dose of the hope they usually spread themselves.

The absence of his friend drives Jack to actively seek out Jamie. He has to be back in town, because the college he attends is out for the winter season. Jack would know, seeing as he had dropped a good two feet of snow on the campus grounds the previous night.

Burgess has changed, whether for better or worse is up for interpretation. Some townsfolk complain it's nothing like it was in years past. Still other townsfolk (which consist of the majority of the young people ages twenty one and under) say the town has progressed and they enjoy what it now brings to them.

Jack swoops down into the streets, the wind carrying him as he hovers above the sidewalk. He weaves through the crowd, glancing in shop windows looking for his friend. The younger children squeal in delight upon seeing Jack Frost. He always spares them a smile and wave, letting them know winter is close at hand.

The frost spirit notices an adult Cupcake wearing a bright smile as she exits a restaurant a few buildings ahead. The wind sets him down in front of the window. When he leans forward to look in the dark building, the glass begins to frost. Before his view is completely obscured, Jack catches sight of the twenty-two year old Jamie laughing, sitting across from a woman with long, dark hair and a red sweater.

Jack scoffs, pulling away and crossing his arms as he leans against the glass. It isn't even cold enough for sweaters that thick yet!

Blue eyes strain to see through the glass again, but to no avail. "So who _is _that girl?" Jack muses, disgruntled that Jamie would forego meeting with him to meet with a girl.

The Guardian is startled out of his thoughts as the restaurant door bursts open. Jamie runs outside, out of breath, as he grins widely at Jack. The white-haired Spirit smiles back at him. Well, if Jamie wants to spend time with someone else, that's okay, because he can still see Jack.

"Jack, you won't believe who's back in town!" Jamie breathes under his breath, glancing nervously around the street to make sure no one passing can hear him.

"Surprise me." Jack pushes away from the glass, twirling his staff to rest on his shoulders as he waits for the young adult to continue speaking.

Before Jamie can reply, the door opens once more, and the woman who was sitting with Jamie joins him outside.

"Way to leave me to pick up the tab, Jamie." The woman huffs in annoyance, though the playful undertone softens the words into a jest. A blush dusts Jamie's cheeks as he laughs nervously.

"S-Sorry! I... I saw a friend just outside the window and had to come say hi before he left."

Jack watches the girl curiously as she turns her head from one side of the street to the other. Her gaze seems to pass right through the Spirit of Winter before she looks back at Jamie, frowning.

"I don't see anyone that looks like they'd be your friend..."

Jamie tries his best to keep the crest-fallen look off his face, quickly masking it with another laugh. "I guess he didn't want to meet you!"

The dark-haired woman rolls her eyes. "Jamie Bennett, what stories have you been spreading about me in town?"

Jamie grins sheepishly. "None, really..." Jamie offers his arm to the girl, which she laces her own arm through, and allows him to lead her down the street. Jamie throws Jack an urgent look over his shoulder. Jack shrugs, jumping into the wind and flying after them. He doesn't have anything else better to do today, though he can probably think of something more interesting than following Jamie and his girlfriend around town.

"Where're you taking me now?" The girl laughs, shoving Jamie's shoulder playfully with her own. Jamie shrugs, his smile mysterious.

"You'll see."

"You and your surprises."

"You aren't any better at not keeping secrets, you know." Jamie counters, to which the girl shakes her head.

"I was young."

The rest of the walk is silent and boring. Jack almost drifts away a few times, but Jamie's pleading look reels him back.

It's not until they reach the edge of the woods Jack realizes where Jamie is leading the girl. The frost spirit feels an unrecognizable emotion in his stomach which suddenly feels as if his heart as dropped into it. Why would Jamie bring a complete stranger to such an important spot?

Jamie stops on the edge of the treeline, looking over the already frozen lake. Of course it's the first thing Jack freezes. Otherwise he would have to travel around the winter-laden countries like a nomad. The lake may not be a home as splendorous as North's workshop or Toothiana's palace, but it is his home.

Jack lands behind Jamie, the wind ruffling his brunette locks. Jamie sends Jack a pleading look, holding his index finger to his lips for a fraction of a second. He may as well have danced the Macarena for all the attention the girl was paying him.

She approaches the edge of the lake, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Why'd you bring me here, Jamie?"

"Don't you remember?" Jamie questions. The girl laughs quietly, the sound cutting through the air.

"I remember sadness. This is where I said goodbye to my friends all those years ago."

Jack blinks. Years ago would make the girl around Jamie's age. If Jamie knows her from childhood, then shouldn't Jack know her? The frost spirit moves, floating over the frozen water to get a better look at the face of the woman he previously ignored.

The iciness in her blue gaze wrenches a memory from Jack he has done his best to keep locked away for close to twelve years.

"Raven!" Jack breathes. No wonder Jamie had ditched meeting him earlier!

Jack waves his hand excitedly in front of her eyes, a huge grin growing on his face, yet she doesn't even flinch. Raven doesn't acknowledge that there is a presence in front of her, still gazing at the middle of the pond.

The pale hand slowly falls to Jack's side as he realizes she no longer believes in him. He floats higher in the air, watching her with wide eyes though feeling as if his stomach has now joined his heart in his chest. In his many years of life, he's never been this close to being sick.

"Don't you remember how we used to play here, Raven? Don't you remember Jack?" Jamie tries his hardest as he joins Raven by the edge of the lake.

Raven scoffs. "Childish games. You can't tell me you still believe Jack Frost is a real person."

The words hurt worse than Jack could have imagined. He remembers the young Raven so clearly now that the grown woman is in front of him. Doesn't she remember how he used to comfort her after her family died? Doesn't she remember that last day when they flew together? How can she say he doesn't exist?

Jamie draws himself up. "What if I do, Raven? You used to believe in him as strongly as I did."

Raven sighs, looking up at the sky, inadvertently looking through Jack. "I was young, and I had hope. Things change when you grow up, Jamie." She smiles weakly at him. "Be glad you can still find the strength to believe in something happier."

Jamie frowns. "You don't see him at all..."

Raven snorts. "I'm surprised you've kept up the facade for so many years, Jamie. How did you get through high school still believing in fairy tales?"

Jack's emotions burst, and he drops down to eye-level with Raven.

"I'm not imaginary, Raven! I'm right here! Look at me!" The woman doesn't react. Jack grits his teeth, reaching out and trying to shake her shoulder.

His hand passes right through her. Jack recoils in horror, Jamie watching him sadly.

"What happened to you, Raven?" Jamie questions. Raven shakes her head, refusing to answer.

Jack has prepared himself for the day Jamie or Sophie should ever stop believing in him, but he has been unable to prepare himself for Raven's disbelief. It was his fault, as he had forced the painful memories to the back of his mind, ultimately forgetting about the poor girl. Now he was paying for that tactic.

What tears at his heart more than her disbelief, however, is the ice in her distant eyes.

/x/x/x/

Weeks pass, and Raven stays in town. She rents a room at the local hotel, where she is remembered by the elderly woman who runs the business. Raven shows her a cold politeness She remembers this woman is one of the people who abandoned her as a child, unwilling to keep Raven in her home.

Since arriving in town, Raven hasn't been able to shake the feeling of someone watching her. Every time she looks over her shoulder, though, no one is paying her any sort of attention.

Night encompasses the streets of the growing town. Raven watches as the streetlights blaze with light, turning on for the night. She rubs her arms against the chill in the air. Why had she even come back to this hellhole? The only memories she has of this place are of pain and sadness. In her lowest moments, she liked to believe she remembered happier times, but those thoughts were convincingly squashed almost upon their creation.

Raven clenches her teeth, her hand snapping out and furiously drawing the curtains shut.

"_Why_ did I come back here?!" She hisses to herself, turning to look at her meager residence for the past three weeks. It felt good, to reacquaint herself with her childhood friends. They really haven't changed much. The thing that irks her, however, is that all of them still want to believe in fairy tales. All of them have been trying to convince her in the existence of beings such as Jack Frost, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, in Sophie's case.

She refuses to believe in fairy tales. She grew out of those many years ago.

Or so she wanted to believe. Raven flops down face-first on top of the bed. "This is crazy... What'm I thinking?" Her question is muffled by the pillow. She soon rolls on her side, eyes training on the curtained window. She doesn't realize when she falls to sleep.

/x/x/x/

A tapping sound on her room's window startles Raven out of a deep sleep. She hastily wipes the sleep from her eyes with one hand, the other finding the ever-present Bible located in what seems like every hotel room. She slides to her feet, the book raised as a weapon. Her hand hovers over the part in the curtain. Taking a deep breath, she tugs it open, eyes flaring.

The scene in front of her completely throws her off-balance. Outside in the streets were lines of what looked like glowing yellow sand. Raven blinks rapidly, thinking she must still be dreaming. There's no other possible explanation to what she is seeing.

A tug in the back of her mind has Raven shaking her head. When that does nothing to quiet the discomfort, she uses the book in her hands to hit her forehead. Her only reward is a growing ache behind her eyes.

The taps on the window come again. Raven is on-guard, the book once more a weapon.

When she sees the tiny little man clothed in sand the same color and texture of the floating streams in the air, Raven feels she has finally gone off the deep end.

The little man looks at her in shock, holding his small hand to the window. Raven approaches cautiously, barely touching her palm to her side of the glass.

The man breaks out in a huge smile, little pictures made of sand appearing above his head in rapid succession as if he were excited by her attention. To Raven's surprise, her eyes are able to follow the images, and she understands he is trying to speak to her.

"I must be dreaming..." She mutters, shaking her head. She'd been warned in Florida it was only a matter of time before she went over the looney bend.

The golden man shakes his head furiously, motioning to the streams of sand in the air. He watches her, before pointing to the window. A picture of an open window appears above his head. Raven glares at him suspiciously.

"If I open this window, and you come in my personal space, I will brain you, you hear me?"

He nods, eyes full of understanding. Raven can't believe what she's doing, but her curiosity has gotten the better of her. She opens the window and allows the little man into her room.

A cold wind seems to follow him in, circling the room before finally settling. Raven shivers, grabbing her jacket draped over a nearby chair and stuffing her hands through the armholes.

"So you're in. Who are you, and what do you want?" Raven's voice comes out sharp.

The man is unfazed, more pictures appearing above his head. The picture of the sand swirling outside her window is followed by a picture of the man in front of her. It takes a few repetitions before Raven realizes what he's trying to tell her.

"Wait, you're trying to tell me... That you're the Sandman?"

He nods quickly, a pair of clapping hands appearing above his head.

Raven closes her eyes, letting her head fall back. "Of course, it makes sense. I'm asleep, so I'm dreaming about the Sandman."

A tap on her shoulder is rewarded by a swift punch in the area the touch materialized from. The Sandman ducks under her fist. He wags his finger at her as if scolding her, before more images appear above his head.

Raven watches intently, her incredulity growing the longer she watches. She sees the Sandman sitting in a cloud made of sand with hundreds of tendrils of sand flowing from it. This doesn't surprise her as much as the little girl he adds to his picture as he watches her reaction closely.

"That's... That's me, though. That's me when I was little."

/x/x/x/


	5. Suspicion

_A/N: I know I've been doing well getting a chapter posted per day, and I had the thought tonight that people may come to expect this. I just want to say I post the chapters when I have them done. It just so happens all the chapters have been consecutively written in a matter of four days. This doesn't mean one chapter will be posted every day, as I have a busy week coming up and I can't stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning writing and drawing as I have the past three being said, I think Sandy wants his time in the lime-light..._

/x/x/x/

"How can I even see you? I thought you weren't real."

Raven watches the Sandman cautiously from where she's sitting on the edge of her bed. He floats in front of her, trying to speak with her. Jack crouches in one of the chairs, watching Sandy and Raven interact. It really isn't fair! Why can Raven see Sandy, but she can't see him?!

A question mark appears above Sandy's head. Raven infers he's asking if she believes in him.

"You asking me if I believe in you, little man?"

Sandy nods. So maybe she doesn't completely suck at games like Charades.

"I don't even know how I can see you, because I swear all that childhood crap was squashed out of me at the asylum."

Sandy and Jack blink in confusion. Raven's face morphs into a look of guarded embarrassment upon realizing what she just allowed to slip.

"It's none of your business, anyways..." She mutters, looking away from Sandy to instead watch his Dream-sand outside her window.

Sandy floats in front of her gaze. The pictures above his head tell her it is his business. He wants to know how she still believes. Raven narrows her eyes at him, looking as if she's about to start swinging again. Jack and Sandy both prepare for any threatening move, but to their surprise, the woman relaxes with a pained sigh.

"I think it's the dreams, alright?"

Sandy watches her intently, which she takes as her cue to continue her train of thought. Raven rolls her eyes, standing and moving to look in the dresser mirror.

"I've had dreams about you and all those other fairy tale figures since I was a child. They've faded with time, and with them so has my belief... But the dreams keep coming no matter the treatments I've been through and no matter how much I tell myself to stop dreaming them." Raven's smile is tinged with pain as she meets Sandy's eyes in the mirror. "I received a lot of hell because I wasn't going according to anyone's plan."

Pictures of North, Toothiana, Bunnymund, and Jack appear above Sandy's head, a question mark tagging along at the end. Raven shakes her head.

"You want to know if I still believe in them, or why I don't believe in them?"

The Sandman nods, garnering a deep-throated chuckle from the dark-haired woman. "Why should I believe in what I can't see? Why should they even have my belief? They've never done anything for me. Nothing that I can remember, though I guess my memory's not all that good anymore... Not to mention the harder I tried to prove their reality, the worse punishments I received. My uncle was a strict man who didn't believe in wishes or dreams. He only believed in what he could physically hold in his hands or see with his eyes... He and my aunt had many a fight over me..."

Jack and Sandy share a look. Jack feels absolutely awful, like the smallest grain of dirt on the bottom of someone's shoe. He had never been able to visit Raven. He had convinced himself it was because of the weather of the place to which she'd moved. Watching her now, the guilt crashes into him in full force.

He never visited her because he was scared.

He was scared she would still hate him.

He was scared she wouldn't believe in him anymore.

He is scared she has forgotten him forever.

Staying away and forcing himself to forget has instead been the deciding factor in her waning belief.

Sandy moves towards Raven, tugging at the sleeve of her shirt. She brushes him off, retreating a few steps though she watches him to see what he wants. He points out her window, at what she guesses is the Dreamsand, then a picture of how she looks presently appears above his head. The figure is joined by a figure of the Sandman and his cloud of Dreamsand.

"What, you want me to go with you? To fly across the skies on your sand and watch the dreams of sleeping children?"

The grin on Sandy's face tells Raven she hit the nail on the head, though her words are heavily laced with sarcasm. She looks at him with a stunned expression. "You've gotta be joking! You think I really believe any of this? This _has _to be a dream! There's no way this is real..."

Her voice becomes shrill as she begins panicking. Sandy approaches her, motioning for her to keep her voice down or to keep calm, perhaps both. When she relaxes, Sandy extends a hand to her, allowing her to make the decision.

Her eyes travel between Sandy's face to the Dreamsand floating in the streets a couple of times as she weighs her choices.

The Spirit of Winter watches the scene, scarcely allowing himself to breathe. She has to believe enough to let Sandy show her the wonders he works every night. If she believes in Sandy, then that means there's still hope left that her belief in the others can be re-kindled.

With some hesitation, Raven rests her palm atop Sandy's. His surprised grin has her laughing nervously. "What? I figure if I've finally gone bat-shit insane, I'd better make friends with the people that're going to be keeping me company while I'm in the straight-jacket."

Sandy allows her no more time to speak or think, calling forth his Dreamsand to carry both himself and Raven outside. She squeaks in surprise as her feet leave the ground, almost letting go of Sandy's hand. He shakes his head, a picture appearing above his head signaling she needed to hold onto him until they were outside and in the air.

Raven nods weakly before closing her eyes. Sandy laughs silently, before looking at the Spirit in the corner of the room with question marks above his head.

"Yeah, I'm coming..." Jack mutters, hopping to his feet and following the two into the streets. Soon they are in the air above Burgess, Sandy and Raven standing firmly on a small island of Dreamsand.

Sandy floats before her, gently pushing against her eyebrow to make Raven open her eyes. She resists for a few seconds, before finally squinting through her eyelashes. An encouraging thumbs-up from the Sandman persuades her to fully take in her surroundings.

Blue eyes dart around in wonder at the scene before Raven. Hundreds of sand streams originate from Sandy's cloud, streaking from it to many of the windows in Burgess. Many more of them fade far off into the distance.

The Guardians watch Raven as she realizes she is, in fact, not dreaming, but wide awake and experiencing every minute of this in reality.

She turns to Sandy, confusion and wonder mixing in blue depths. "I... Have I seen this before? My mind is screaming at me that I'm dreaming, but my heart is trying to convince me that this is real and familiar."

Sandy nods firmly. Raven is speechless, still warring with herself on the fact her disbelief is being pummeled by the sights in front of her. The Sandman takes her distraction to put himself head-first into his work. His dreams are able to function by themselves, yes, but the dreams are much stronger when Sandy pours his will into them.

Jack runs his hand through one of the streams, watching Raven sadly. The dolphins that appear from the Dream-sand don't even get a smile from him. They do catch Raven's attention, however. She watches intently as they swim through the air as if they're in water. Jack notices her interest. As the first dolphins disappear, he interrupts the flow of another stream of sand, causing more dolphins to pop out.

Raven's attention is torn between the dolphins that appear as if from nowhere and the little man concentrating beside her. Her curiosity can only focus on one thing at a time, so she cautiously moves towards the area where the dolphins are being created. Jack holds his breath as Raven stops right in front of him, though her eyes still look through him to the sand stream behind him.

She extends her hand, reaching through Jack's chest to touch the Dream-sand. The ice elf recoils at the sharp feeling of pain at her touch, though he watches the sand morph into her dreams.

A group of people begin dancing around Raven's head, though their stature is alike and their faces are void of features. The glow of the sand people glint off watery eyes as Raven follows the people's every move.

"I don't know what my dreams are about anymore, Sandman. I know I'm dreaming of my family by the feelings I get whenever I see them, but why can't I remember their faces?"

Sandy has no answers to give Raven.

/x/x/x/

"You must be joking, Jack! It's one thing for Jamie and Sophie to continue believing, but now you say there is another adult believer?"

Impatience lines Jack's face as North paces in front of him. As soon as Sandy dropped Raven off at her hotel room and she settled in for the night (mostly due to Sandy's Dream-sand), the two Guardians had called a meeting at North's workshop.

Yetis and elves scramble every which way hectically. Christmas is literally around the corner, and North was originally upset by the interruption. Upon hearing Jack's story, North seems to be intrigued enough to forget Christmas for a few moments.

"Look, when have I never lied about something this important?"

Jack had noticed Bunnymund opening his mouth to reply to the first part of his question, and so quickly adds the last part before the Pooka can speak. It effectively keeps the Easter Bunny quiet.

"North, Jack never lies when it comes to children. Or I guess you could say believers, since Jamie and Sophie and now this woman aren't really children..." Toothiana hovers above the others so her wings won't clip her companions in her excitement.

"Why would this woman believe? Who is she to us? Who are we to her?" Bunnymund asks, casting a suspicious look towards Jack.

The frost spirit grits his teeth. "Look, she can't see me, okay? She could only see Sandy."

Sandy nods, pictures appearing above his head detailing the previous night for the three Guardians.

"Sandy would not lie. If Sandy says what Jack is saying is true, then it is true. But who is she?" North studies the sand picture of the woman that Sandy respectfully keeps in form. Toothiana and Bunnymund crowd around on either side of North to catch a glimpse of the woman, as well.

Before Jack can reply with her name, Toothiana gasps in shock and delight.

"That's Raven, isn't it?! Little Raven, who lost her family to that fire!"

Silence ensues from North and Bunnymund before North begins laughing jovially. "By my beard, it is her! Who knew she would grow up so well?"

Bunnymund remembers what Toothiana and North seem to have forgotten in their delight of remembering the child. The look on Jack's face is more than enough to sober his own astonishment at knowing another of Jack's believers still has the capacity to believe.

"I think you're forgettin' something, ya gumbies. Frostbite just said she only remembered Sandy."

Sandy nods sadly as the picture crumbles away. North and Toothiana share a look before they, too, understand the meaning of their youngest's unhappiness.

Jack had been extremely close to the children in Burgess, Raven holding a place just as special as Jamie's in his heart. They may not have been around Raven as much as Jack, but they had grown attached to the broken little girl who needed a family. Seeing the Guardian they have come to think of as the child they must protect look so low helped in their decision.

Bunnymund is the one who makes the suggestion.

"Well, whaddya say we make her believe again?"

/x/x/x/


	6. Friends

_A/N: Raven will not leave me alone, regardless of the fact that my Muse has two other ideas for me to get started on before the end of the month (both Guardian-oriented as well, though quite different than Frozen Heart) and a game I've been dying to play for close to five years. As for length on Frozen Heart, I can say each Guardian will work on Raven's belief, so each Guardian may have one or two chapters dedicated to them, not to even mention when Pitch becomes heavily involved in the plot... So a rough estimate may be around 20 chapters altogether if I keep averaging five pages each chapter._

/x/x/x/

"So maybe this fairy tale business isn't complete crap."

Jamie and Sophie stare at Raven. The morning after Raven's meeting with the Sandman, she finds Jamie at the restaurant he had taken her to the day before. He is treating his sister to breakfast, though Raven feels what she needs to speak about with him is too important to wait.

"Uhh... What brought this on? You were pretty vehement yesterday about them being imaginary."

Sophie smiles as she kicks out the chair near to Raven as an invitation for her to sit down. Raven graciously accepts, her eyes shifting between the Bennett siblings.

"I had a visitor last night." Raven shrugs, leaning her elbows on the table while supporting her chin on the top of her hands.

"A visitor?" Sophie tilts her head, eyes full of curiosity.

Raven shifts into deep thoughts, effectively zoning out her surroundings. She came to find Jamie to specifically tell him about her midnight visitor, but now that she thinks back to the amazing experience while in the daylight... It seems as if it _was_ all just a dream.

"Raven? Hey, are you okay?"

The dark-haired woman violently shakes herself out of her musing. Raven blushes under the scrutinizing gazes of the sister and brother.

"Sorry... I... It's just a habit I picked up over the years when I'm thinking."

"You were saying you had a visitor last night?"

Raven persuades herself she's already committed to the telling, so gives in. If Jamie and Sophie believe in the fairy tale figures, at least she doesn't count as the only crazy person in town.

"The Sandman paid me a visit last night."

Jamie's face takes on a hint of incredulity before breaking out into a huge grin. "Sandy visited you?! Wow, you're lucky!"

Sophie nods, eyes shining in excitement. Raven is taken aback by their enthusiasm. She wasn't expecting them to agree so readily to her story.

"You two are not going to stop surprising me, are you?"

The siblings' grins are almost identical as they shake their heads.

"Well, I figured since you were pretty down yesterday about my not believing in your imaginary friends, I'd tell you that at least one of them is real." Raven tries to brush them off, her discomfort increasing the longer she sits with Jamie and Sophie.

"But Raven... They're not imaginary. None of them are. And if they here you talking like that, they're going to be hurt." Sophie scolds. Raven resists the urge to say something sarcastic.

"So what do you, or they, want me to do? Just begin believing out of the goodness of my heart? I'm sorry, but that's impossible."

"What happened to you after you moved, Raven?" Raven has been under Jamie's scrutinizing gaze since she first sat down at the table. The woman wrinkles her nose as she scowls.

"Let's just say my hope was crushed, and leave it at that, Jamie."

Jamie's lips tighten at the emptiness in his friend's voice. It may take everything they have, but the Guardians need to re-instill belief in Raven. If her actions are anything to go by, she _needs_ something good to believe in.

/x/x/x/

Jack flies above Jamie, Sophie, and Raven. The three seem to be getting along well with each other, despite the years they have been separated. Sophie takes the lead of the small group, laughing loudly as she grabs Raven's hand and drags her down the street, Jamie following a few feet behind the girls.

The Spirit of Winter notices they're heading towards the Bennett household. Their parents aren't home this time of day, so the three are probably just going to hang out. At least, that's what Jack convinces himself until he sees Bunnymund leaning against the house's porch.

Jack tells the wind to set him down on the roof of the porch, interest piqued as to what Bunnymund is doing visiting Burgess at the beginning of the winter season.

"Bunnymund!"

Sophie is practically bursting at the seams as she lets go of Raven's hand and throws herself at the Pooka, wrapping her arms around him in as strong a hug as she is capable. Bunnymund chuckles as he returns the affectionate motion, though his eyes train on Raven's confused face.

Raven can tell there is something in front of Sophie, because the younger girl is floating in the air. She spares a questioning look at Jamie, who has caught up with the two. He smiles at her knowingly.

"It's Bunnymund. You know, the Easter Bunny."

The woman laughs weakly, turning her gaze back to Sophie, who is now looking at her expectantly.

"Can you see him?"

Raven shakes her head. "I told you I don't... I told you my belief isn't as strong as yours."

What is she doing? They had warned her these imaginary people would have their feelings hurt if she outright said she doesn't believe in them, and her words are spoken in a way they won't be hurtful. Why bother if she doesn't believe?

"It's alright, lass. She'll believe before the end of the day." Bunnymund pats Sophie's shoulder, reassurance in his voice.

Jamie snorts. "That's a bit over-confident, isn't it? He says you'll believe in him before the day is up." Jamie tells Raven before she can ask what he means.

Raven holds her palm to her forehead, hiding her eyes from the sunlight. She can feel a migraine forming.

"And just how does he propose to do that?" Raven asks sarcastically.

Bunnymund grins. "Well, Sophie. What do you think would be the easiest way to make her believe?"

Sophie shrugs. "Seeing is believing? I'd show her the Warren."

Jamie nods in agreement when Bunnymund looks to him. The Pooka sighs, his ears flattening against his head slightly. "Belief usually has to come from the heart without any proof, but..."

Green eyes glance up towards the watching Jack Frost.

"I guess this is a special case."

Sophie claps in happiness. "We can come, too, right, Bunnymund? It's been forever since you've let us visit!"

Bunnymund laughs, ruffling Sophie's blonde locks. "Anything for you, ankle-biter."

The Pooka moves into a clear patch of ground, Sophie and Jamie a few steps behind him. Raven follows cautiously. She's been the witness of a one-sided conversation. If she hadn't seen the Sandman the night before, she would believe Jamie and Sophie were crazy.

Seeing their belief and how confident they are in speaking to the invisible force Raven cannot see has her doubting herself once again. She mentally hits herself. It seems that's all she can do nowadays is doubt.

Bunnymund taps his foot against the ground, a hole to his Warren opening immediately. Raven gasps, retreating from the sudden change in the environment. Jamie holds his hand out to her, an excited look on his face.

"It's okay, Raven. We're taking you to the Warren, Bunnymund's home. If you don't believe after seeing this place, then we'll have to give up on you ever regaining your childhood."

Raven approaches the hole, peering into its black depths. Four pairs of eyes train on Raven as they wait for her decision.

"... I think I'd be a hypocrite if I allowed the Sandman to take me on his cloud of sand, but I'm not willing to jump down a hole of unknown length, depths, or origins." Raven smiles weakly at Sophie and Jamie. "Are you sure you're not playing a prank on the crazy girl?"

Jamie shakes his head negatively. "Of course we're not playing a prank on you. You said yourself you saw Sandy last night. You trust us, right?"

The momentary pause is more than noticeable.

"... Sure." Raven sounds less than truthful.

"Well, what're ya'll standin' around here for? Go on!" Bunnymund interrupts the awkward conversation, gently pushing Sophie into Raven. Raven lets out a short scream of surprise as the two fall into the hole. Jamie sends Bunnymund an annoyed look.

"That's going to gain her trust."

"She's gonna have to learn to take chances, kid." Bunnymund motions for Jamie to jump down the hole before him.

"Give me some time before you jump in. I don't want a six-foot tall kangaroo landing on my head."

"I'm a _bunny_, not a freakin' kangaroo!" Bunnymund yells in the hole after Jamie. The kid's laughter echoes back to Bunnymund's sensitive ears. He grunts, shrugging, turning to Jack.

"Are ya coming or not, Frostbite?"

Jack doesn't reply, continuing to study the Pooka's face. Bunnymund grows self-conscious under the ice eyes.

"Well?"

"Do you really want her to believe again?" Jack asks. Bunnymund throws his paws up into the air, rolling his eyes.

"Either fly down this hole, or I'm leaving ya here."

Jack nods, allowing the wind to steer him down the hole and through the tunnels. Bunnymund jumps in after him, the hole closing and leaving nothing in its wake but a small, blue flower.

/x/x/x/

Deep beneath the earth, perhaps even deeper than Bunnymund's network of tunnels, darkness stirs. A high noise akin to that of a horse's whinny causes shadows to writhe as if in pain, ecstasy, or both. The clanking of metal rises in a crescendo as the shadows travel around a dimly lit cavern.

As suddenly as the noise begins, it ceases. An eerie calm falls over the lair of the Boogeyman. Two glowing, yellow orbs appear as if from nowhere in the darkest recesses of shadow.

"Oh, how long it's been." Pitch murmurs. The grin he sends towards the barely visible Moon promises nothing short of revenge.

/x/x/x/


	7. Need for Belief

_A/N: I apologize for not uploading anything yesterday, but I have today off from work, so I figured I'd just write as much as I wanted today and upload everything I write... Which will be at least another chapter before the end of the day. I realize this one is shorter than the previous chapters, but I'm sure if you're a writer, you understand when the chapter wants to end, there's no way of forcing it to continue. I'll attempt to make up for it with the next chapter, either in length, content, or both._

/x/x/x/

North sits in his workshop, tinkering with the latest invention his imagination has conjured. It's always a joy to take time to sit back, relax, and craft his wondrous ideas, and a much needed excursion around Christmas time.

An urgent knock on his door before it burst open reveals a frantic yeti motioning and grumbling for him to come into the main workshop area. North grins.

"You remembered to knock! Good! Now, what has happened? Have elves set workshop on fire again?" North questions, standing and following the Yeti. The Yeti shakes his head, instead pointing to the Globe of Belief. A strong and terrible sense of deja vu suddenly fills North.

The lights are once again flickering, just as they had all those years ago when Pitch had made his move against the Guardians. The difference in this scene is that there is a group of lights in the Northeast of the United States whose flickers are more noticeable than all the others.

"Oh no..." North rumbles, blue eyes wide.

/x/x/x/

Raven can't help the smile that plasters itself on her face. She, Jamie, and Sophie have been in the Warren for what seems like hours. The blonde girl's excitement is infectious as she shows Raven everything there is to see, Jamie trailing after the girls with a grin of his own.

Sophie drags Raven to a field of hanging tulips. "This is where Easter eggs are made!"

Raven gives Sophie a look that clearly says she doesn't believe her. Sophie just reaches her hand out and runs it gently along one of the tulips. The older woman stares on in wonder as the flower closes, bulging around where the petals and the stem meet, before opening. An egg with little legs drops into Sophie's cupped hands, which she immediately sets in Raven's hands.

The egg acts as if it's studying Raven, before plopping down in her hands, sitting and looking as if it is watching her intently. Raven is watching the egg just as closely as it watches her.

"So... what do I do with it?"

Sophie laughs. "You decorate it, silly! C'mon! Just make sure not to drop it!"

Bunnymund finds himself smiling as he sees how carefully Raven cradles the egg against her stomach, unwilling to drop the tiny thing and break it.

"For someone who doesn' believe, she's a pro at handling strange circumstances." Bunnymund comments to his pale companion.

"You never answered me, Bunnymund. Why're you going to such great lengths to re-kindle her belief? Why're the other Guardians willing to go so far to make an adult believe?"

The Pooka groans at Jack's insistence, but realizes the frost child won't stop his questioning until he gets his answers.

"We don' like seein' ya so down, Frostbite."

Jack stares at Bunnymund. "You're doing this for me...? Why?"

"Why do ya have to come and ask me all the uncomfortable questions?" Bunnymund complains. "We just think it's abou' time ya have a bit of happiness, alright?"

After a few moments of terse silence, Jack grins widely. "Aww, you _do _care."

"Shut up, ya blighter..." Bunnymund snaps, hopping away from the younger Spirit to follow the three humans in his domain.

The smile on Jack's face doesn't fade as he floats lazily behind. The Guardians never cease to amaze Jack at how much they're willing to do for him.

Raven's soft laughter echoes through the Warren, complimenting the boisterous laughter that belongs to Sophie. Sophie has shown Raven the coloring flowers, and the two are covered in different pastel-colored powders. The girls are decorated more than the egg dancing around them which is barely keeping out of their reach.

"She almost looks like the child I remember..." Jack notes softly.

"That child is still there, Frostbite."

"I wish it was as easy to fix as you make it seem... Something's wrong with her. Something happened in the years she's been away from Burgess."

"That's not that hard to figure out."

Jack and Bunnymund turn their attention to Jamie, who has decided to join them to allow his sister and friend some bonding time.

"She's so guarded it won't be easy to get an explanation out of her."

Bunnymund shakes his head. "We don' need ta know what went wrong. We jus' needta be here while she's not ready to tell, and be there when she is." He grins at Jack and Jamie. "As Guardians, that's what we need to do."

Raven approaches Jamie, rubbing at her cheek and smudging the colors on her face even more. She smiles brightly at him.

"I haven't had this much fun in... in... Well, since before I moved. I've never seen anything so bright. It almost makes me believe in the world again."

"You don't need to believe in the world, so long as you believe in the Guardians. They'll fight the world for you, so you won't have to worry."

Bunnymund and Jack share a look over the boy's head, Jack's look one of pride. The Pooka has to admit the kid sure knows how to find believers.

Raven takes on a look of deep concentration. "The Guardians, huh? That's what they're called?"

"Of course. You knew them before you moved."

Blue eyes dance as Raven stands just in front of Bunnymund.

"Well, I may not remember who they were to me when I was a child, but I fail to understand how I forgot a six-foot tall Australian rabbit."

/x/x/x/

Bunnymund brings everyone back to Jamie's house, where Jamie tells Raven she can use their shower to clean up. Sophie allows her to borrow some of her clothes while her colored ones are put in the wash.

Sophie drags Bunnymund into her room, showing him the new items she's bought since he last visited. Jack and Jamie watch in amusement as Sophie hands an embarrassed Bunnymund a small porcelain rabbit, large paws awkwardly holding the fragile item.

"It doesn't seem like she'll ever stop believing." Jack notes. Jamie nods.

"Neither of us will, you know. And Raven's on her way to remembering. She already believes in Sandy and Bunny."

Jack shakes his head. "The other Guardians can make her believe because they have places to call home. I can't do that. My home is the lake in Burgess, nothing extraordinary for her to believe..."

"She will sooner or later, Jack, and you'll be able to apologize."

The bathroom door opens. Raven exits, toweling her hair dry. Sophie's clothes are just the right size.

"Thanks for letting me use your shower, Jamie."

Jamie grins. "No problem. There would've been a lot of questions if you were to walk around town that dirty."

Raven nods. "So what do you want me to do with this?"

"Just throw it over the sink. I'll take care of it later. I don't think Sophie or Bunnymund would mind if you join them. Sophie would be thrilled you're interested in her knick-knacks."

Raven does as Jamie suggests. She's much better at handling the glass pieces. As Jack watches her, he wonders from where the gentleness stems.

/x/x/x/

"It is still happening! I tell you, Pitch is back and he is angry!"

North leads Toothiana and Sandy through the halls of his workshop to the Globe room.

"North, are you sure you're just not overworked? Christmas is around the corner, and you've been awfully busy lately." Toothiana hovers just above North, worry etched on her face.

North shakes his head, waving at the Globe of Belief. Toothiana and Sandy stare at the Globe. As North had explained, the lights on the Globe are acting strange. He draws their attention to the group of lights that previously caught his attention.

"I have feeling he is going to target Jamie and the believers that surround him. Would be good revenge on us, especially Jack."

A question mark appears above Sandy's head. What should they do? North watches the Globe spin thoughtfully, stroking his beard.

"Best we can do is wait and watch. Keep children and older believers safe."

Toothiana follows the group of lights as it turns, wings humming. "Jack's not going to be in good fighting form unless Raven believes in him..."

"Jack is Guardian. He understands what is needed of him." North booms jovially. Toothiana crosses her arms, looking unsure.

Jack may be a Guardian, but he still has the personality of a child. Her pink gaze finds the almost invisible Moon in the sky, watching the three Guardians as silently as ever.

/x/x/x/


	8. The Boogeyman

_A/N: Meh, I don't know why I give myself deadlines anymore. I apologize for the late update. My boyfriend surprised me by taking me to see The Hobbit when I was supposed to be writing, and it was longer than we expected. So the length averages around the first three or four chapters, but I believe the content makes up for that. We're finally getting into the flow of the plot._

_On a side note, I have over 1,300 views on Frozen Heart. Thanks, guys! It means a lot to me._

/x/x/x/

"Isn't this interesting?"

Pitch circles the Globe in his lair, yellow eyes training on the anomaly in the area of the New England states. He remembers this is where those hateful Guardians and brats banished him to be tortured by his own shadows for...

How long has he been underground? It must be more than a few years, so there's no reason for those children to still believe in the Guardians. They're grown by now, they must be. A cruel grin stretches Pitch's lips. That doesn't mean he still can't get his revenge on that annoying frost child using his first believer.

"Well, perhaps I should pay a little visit to young Jamie and his friends. I'm sure the nightmares they've acquired over the years will have them quivering."

/x/x/x/

Raven hasn't heard from Sandy (which is how everyone refers to him, so Jamie tells her) or Bunnymund for almost a week, and that intense feeling of always being watched has disappeared. She's spent every moment she can with Jamie and, inadvertently, his friends. She would rather just spend time with Jamie and Sophie. Though they were once her friends, Raven feels as if the group is judging her just out of earshot.

It's not like she doesn't know she's screwed up, but is it that noticeable, that everyone has to whisper behind her back? Maybe she's just being paranoid, but something's finally going Raven's way, and she would like the happiness to stay longer than just a few days.

She's been asking around town for odd jobs so the upkeep for her hotel room doesn't completely clean out her wallet. Raven's put quite a bit of money back for emergencies, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. The townsfolk are suspicious of the young woman at first, but after a week of showing she means nothing but good, they've come to tolerate her presence and accept her help.

Jamie tells her she doesn't need to work, that she can stay at the Bennett household for far cheaper than the old woman is making her pay for the rented hotel room. Raven makes excuse after excuse as to why she can't stay with Jamie and Sophie, though they all dance around the true reason.

Raven tends to push her past troubles aside, refusing to face them in the happiest time of her life since her move to Florida. She believes the rare happiness is what's keeping her tethered to Burgess, considering when she first arrived, she was only staying for a couple of days. Raven still doesn't know why she came back to Burgess, but regardless of the reason this town is better than her aunt and uncle's.

Sophie hugs Raven good-bye before rushing into her home, Raven waving after the younger girl. She had walked her home from school, both because Jamie had asked her since he was busy and because Raven wants to get to know the blonde girl. What she remembers of Jamie's little sister from when they were children is an obsession with bunnies (which has obviously followed her into her teenage years for good reason) and tons of falls. Sophie was accident prone as a child, but seems to have won out over that bud luck.

The childishness in Sophie is still visible. Maybe that's because she's believed in childhood figures for her whole life, Raven muses as she turns from the house and begins walking back into the main part of town. The streets are beginning to darken as night sets in, streetlights once again flaring into life. It's almost comforting for Raven to find herself in a cycle.

Even without Sandy visiting her, Raven is still comforted by the fact that when she looks out her window when the town is sleeping, she can see his Dreamsand bringing sweet dreams to the children. She has not touched the Dreamsand since the night Sandy took her with him. She fears the pain it will bring her, to know what she longs for but to know she'll never remember the family in her past.

/x/x/x/

"Look, it doesn't feel right, being away from Burgess for this long."

"Don't try to pull that, Frostbite. You've been away from tha' place for much longa' periods of time before."

Jack glares at Bunnymund. "The threat of Pitch returning never worried me, either."

"He won't target Jamie or the others, Jack. He'll think they've grown out of their belief." Toothiana attempts to persuade the youngest Guardian, but even she doesn't sound convinced.

The older Guardians have not told Jack about the strange actions of the group of lights in his town. They need his help tracking Pitch down before the Boogeyman can cause trouble.

They were looking for an entrance into Pitch's underground lair, and so far their search has come up with a big, fat nothing. Everyone is stressed and is beginning to show it through their interactions.

"We should stop for now. There has been no breath or hint at where we can find entrance. It will be better for us to rest and try again later." North sighs, resting his hands on his back as he stretches. Everyone may love the sleigh, but being in the sleigh for close to five hours will give anyone, even jolly old Santa, a pain in their back.

Sandy nods in agreement. He is the only one out of the five Guardians to still be in high spirits, though his worry for the children does show through the hard look of concentration he wears.

Movement on the edge of the golden man's vision startles him. Sandy turns his attention to the area, searching the darkness with piercing eyes. The movement comes again, and though it's too dark to tell for sure what the creature is, Sandy is positive it's a Nightmare.

The Sandman attempts to get his companions' attention, waving his hands wildly above his head while making all kinds of exclamations and pictures above his head. As usual, no one notices as they are too caught up in the escalating argument that has started.

The Nightmare moves farther from the Guardians. Sandy's anticipation of losing the possible key to finding Pitch has him reach his breaking point. He floats forward, tugging North's beard angrily. The large man yelps in pain as the others look at Sandy in shock. The golden man scowls, pointing towards the retreating Nightmare.

They share a look before nodding, taking off after the creature. Jack pushes into the lead, determined to take the creature out, find Pitch, and return to Burgess so he can be there to protect the believers.

/x/x/x/

The town is sleeping deeply when the shadows begin acting abnormally. They shy away from the bright light on the main streets, keeping to the darker alleys. The few night owls still up and about shiver as a cold chill spills down their spine, glancing over their shoulder as paranoia flares. In the morning, these people will laugh at themselves, but for now they quicken their gait so they are able to arrive home faster.

Pitch materializes from the shadows. He doesn't hide his curiosity as he explores the town. He knows he has the leisure of time to explore Jack's home. He has sent a few Nightmares the Guardians' way to keep them distracted. He smirks. The Guardians are simple and easy to control. It seems they are unprepared for his return if they are scrabbling to find him.

To the Boogeyman's surprise, the Dreamsand still visits the Bennett house. Two separate windows glow softly with the light of the sand. Pitch scowls, melting into the shadows and re-appearing in the closest room.

The room is decorated in a girlish style. Pitch runs his hand lightly over the figurines on the shelves. He can't help the derisive smile upon noticing they are mostly of rabbits and little decorated eggs. This must be the room of Jamie's little sister.

Yet the girl in the bed is not a small child, but a teenager. Pitch would think nothing of the figurines if the Dreamsand wasn't hovering above the blonde's sleeping head. The sand is formed into a picture of herself, her brother, the Easter Bunny, and the Frost child, though there is a second female with them who Pitch can't place.

"How strange for a child to continue believing to your age." Pitch croons to the sleeping Sophie, the glow of the Dreamsand giving his face an almost demonic look. "I wonder if you even remember the Boogeyman... Let me stir your memories."

Pitch reaches forward, touching the Dreamsand Sophie with the tip of his finger. The golden sand quickly turns black as Sophie begins whimpering quietly. In her dream turned nightmare, a miniature Pitch appears and defeats the two Guardians in her dream. The Boogeyman laughs at the nightmare, basking in the fear exuding from the girl.

His next stop drops him into Jamie's room. Pitch can't believe what he sees. The Dreamsand hovers above Jamie's head, as well.

What has kept the children believing in the Guardians into their adulthood? Is their belief so true, so strong, nothing can rattle it? It may help Jack's home is not far from the town, so the children would have seen him every winter season. Jamie and Sophie's belief may come from seeing him on a regular basis.

An urgent knock on Jamie's door has Pitch melting backwards into the darkest corner of the room as Jamie stirs. The insistent knocking wakes him.

"Wh-Who is it?" Jamie yawns, rubbing at his eyes as he sits up.

Sophie opens the door, clinging to a familiar stuffed bunny. Jamie watches his sister with tired eyes.

"What's wrong, Soph?"

Sophie takes the question as an invitation to enter his room. She does so quickly, practically jumping on his bed and hugging him tightly. Jamie returns the hug, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I had a nightmare..."

Jamie tenses at the innocent words. Pitch doesn't fail to notice the reaction. So Jamie _does _remember the Boogeyman.

"What happened in it?"

"Raven stopped believing, first off, and told me I was stupid for believing in the Guardians. She couldn't see Sandy or Bunnymund anymore. Then a tall man in all black appeared out of thin air. He fought Jack and Bunny, but they lost..."

Jack's lips are thin as he listens to his sister's explanation. Where is Jack when he's needed? No one has warned Raven about the Boogeyman, and he feels he should head to her hotel right this moment to tell her... But as an older brother, his responsibility lies with Sophie first and foremost.

Pitch grows bored, listening to the whimpers and snuffles of the youngest Bennett. He decides to find this 'Raven' Sophie mentioned. She must be the other female that was in Sophie's dream... And she only believes in two of the five Guardians. Most interesting...

/x/x/x/

The woman sleeping in the bed is unfamiliar to Pitch, but this has to be the Raven Sophie mentioned. Dreamsand reaches this woman, as well. Watching her dreams, Pitch senses happiness but there is a tinge of melancholy about the figures.

"So you only believe in the Sandman and the Easter Bunny... You leave yourself so unprotected, to believe in only two Guardians." Pitch whispers, almost soothingly, as he stands by her bedside.

She shifts as if she hears the sound of his voice, her face tightening. Pitch grins, reaching forward and turning her dream into a nightmare. If Jamie and Sophie know this Raven, then so, too, must Jack Frost. Even if the girl doesn't believe in the ice spirit, Jack will still feel at fault if he cannot protect her.

Raven gasps, sitting straight up in her bed, eyes wide and sweat pouring down her neck. She almost doesn't see the figure standing by her bed because the dark wall and the figure blend together almost perfectly.

Yet Raven does see Pitch, and she can't believe her eyes.

Pitch almost convinces himself Raven is still suffering from the after-effects of the nightmare he has given her, until she addresses him directly.

"First the Sandman, then the Easter Bunny... And now the Boogeyman, right?"

Pitch stares at the woman, unsure how to react to being seen, before he shows his pointed teeth in a wide grin.

The world has become stranger since his exile, but perhaps he can use this to his advantage...

/x/x/x/


	9. The North Pole

_A/N: I'm unsure whether I've said this in any of the previous chapters, but I do accept anonymous reviews. So anyone can drop me a compliment, advice, or critique. Also, I've reached over 1,500 views in the course of one chapter. That still amazes me, how strong the Guardians fanbase is going._

_I apologize for the lack of updates the past few days. My best friend has stayed the weekend, and I'm just now able to settle down and get to writing, since she's writing on her own book. I think the wait is worth it, though, hehe..._

/x/x/x/

Blue depths drown in yellow. Raven can't believe the figure in front of her is real, but he will not disappear, no matter how many times she blinks or pinches herself.

Raven is no longer dreaming.

She's about to be thrown in a waking nightmare.

Pitch moves towards her. Raven's reaction is almost immediate. She throws the comforter at Pitch, not covering his head as she intended, but distracting him long enough so she can open the window. Where is Sandy? He'll be able to help her. He has to be able to help her.

"Ah ah ah, little bird."

Shadows slam the window shut, barely missing her fingers. Raven twirls, throwing her fists up in a fighting posture. Pitch laughs in amusement.

"You truly think a human such as yourself can hold her own against the King of Nightmares?"

Pitch steps closer to the dark-haired woman, relishing the look on Raven's face when her back meets the window.

She begins fiddling with the window latch behind her back. Raven would rather duck out into the falling snow and risk hypothermia than deal with the Boogeyman alone in a dark room.

"Your fear is intoxicating, little bird. Tell me, how have they kept the children believing through the years? Jamie is an adult, Sophie a teenager. The little brat friends of Jamie's will be adults, too."

Raven snarls at Pitch, bringing her hands back around and clenching her fists tighter, her nails biting smartly into her palm. This startles Pitch into halting.

"Tell me, how is it you believe in the Boogeyman?" The smirk on his lips infuriates Raven... He looks at her as if he knows exactly how she can believe in him, as if he knows every single thing she fears.

"Though, really, the question to ask you would be how can you believe in the Guardians with so much darkness in you?" Pitch's voice is silk as he tries to throw Raven off-guard.

Raven can take no more of the Boogeyman's antagonizing. She throws a punch, her knuckles solidly connecting with Pitch's ribs. She pays no attention to the pain that flares in her hand, because she's given herself a chance. As Pitch doubles over at the sudden burst of pain, Raven turns and throws open the window, jumping out. She slips on the ice that has formed beneath her window, but quickly regains her balance, running from the room.

Her fear spurs her to run faster than she ever has, giving her the speed and agility like that of an animal. Raven gasps as the shadows to her side begin moving, lashing out at her feet in an attempt to trip or catch her.

She is able to evade the shadows, her breath coming in short, terrified pants. Raven has no idea where her feet are taking her, but if it is somewhere far from the Boogeyman, somewhere safe, she doesn't care.

A furious Pitch shoots up from the shadows in front of her, startling a scream from her. Raven slips on a patch of ice, careening into a streetlamp. The force with which she lands against the metal pole takes the breath from her lungs. Coughing, she staggers, trying to run again.

Somewhere safe, anywhere safe! The game of cat and mouse continues for an amount of time Raven can't even begin to comprehend, though it feels like she's been running for an eternity.

It's once she hits the woods that she realizes what Pitch is doing. He's _allowing _her to get away from him. Now when Raven glimpses those glowing eyes, they are mocking and filled with mirth. He is feeding off her fear.

Once she reaches the edge of a frozen lake, Raven has nowhere else to run. She has no idea whether the ice of the lake will hold her, and the paths around the lake are over-shadowed, no moonlight able to reach the ground.

The woman turns to face the Boogeyman as he melts out of the shadows. His grin is almost feral.

"You've given me a good chase, little bird, and your fear..." He inhales deeply. "Exotic. The fear of an adult is so much different than a child's... More potent. Deadlier."

Raven tenses as Pitch walks towards her.

Should she fight?

Should she run?

Where would she run?

As if a lightning bolt has struck him, Pitch freezes, eyes widening at something over Raven's shoulder. Raven has no time to wonder at what he is staring at with such animosity before what looks like a stream of frozen lightning flashes at him, making him disappear in a cloud of black sand.

Before she can move, Raven feels her feet leave the ground, though her stomach takes their place. Her mind shuts down for a few seconds...

Then Raven realizes she is flying.

Raven glances behind her frantically, trying to see who has saved her and is holding her tightly so she won't fall.

She can see no one.

She can feel the rough texture of cloth against her bare arms.

She can feel a chest rising and falling as someone inhales and exhales rapidly.

She can feel fingers digging deeply into her arm.

She can feel the cold body temperature of her savior.

The snap of realization is close to painful. Before Raven's eyes, the person who saved her comes into her sight as if fazing through teleportation in a sci-fi movie.

"Jack?"

/x/x/x/

They fly for some time, the temperature growing colder and colder. Raven is shivering by the time they catch sight of their destination. Raven's voice fails at the sight growing before her.

"This is..."

"The North Pole."

Jack has not spoken the whole flight, though neither has Raven since the forgotten memories resurfaced. Her head aches horribly, the pain deep behind her eyes. Her heart rate has yet to fall to normal levels.

A window on a higher level of the building is their entrance, Jack letting Raven settle her feet on the windowsill so she can jump through before flying in behind her.

Huge, furry creatures turn their shaggy heads to look at them. They seem to know Jack, paying him no attention. Raven is the object of their attention. She tenses, memories tugging in the back of her head as she looks them over.

"They're Yetis. And those little knuckleheads are Elves."

Jack motions from the big creatures to the little creatures in red standing around the room gibbering in excitement at the sight of Jack and Raven. Raven watches them, slowly relaxing as she realizes they can't possibly be a threat, and even if the Yetis were, Jack would protect her.

Raven looks at Jack from the corner of her eye. He's speaking to one of the Yetis, addressing him as 'Phil' and telling him to get someone called North, that the others need to be here. When the Yeti nods, lumbering out of the room, Jack meets Raven's eyes.

The two stare at each other awkwardly.

"Thank you... You know, for getting me away from the Boogeyman." Raven mutters.

"His name's Pitch. Pitch Black."

Raven chuckles at the irony. "Of course his name is something like that."

Jack frowns. "Look, I need to go check on Jamie. You'll be fine here for now. North will look after you."

Terror floods Raven's veins. "You're just going to leave me here?"

Jack frowns at the tone in her voice. "I'm not abandoning you. I just need to make sure Jamie and Sophie are safe. If they are, I'll be back before you know it. Trust me."

Before Raven can reply, Jack has jumped out the window and is too far away for Raven to yell after him.

The woman stares into the dark night, attempting to gather her scattered thoughts and will away the excruciating pounding in her head.

In light of recent events, Raven admits it is time to face the past she's been so keen on escaping.

/x/x/x/

North bursts into the side room where Phil told him he has a visitor. The woman jumps, ice blue eyes sharpening as her hands come up in a defensive posture. When she sees who the intruder is, she backs down, her hands hanging limply at her sides.

"You are..."

"Raven."

"You can see me? This is good!" North laughs, striding into the room and ushering Raven away from the open window. He leads her to a chair near a fire the Elves have started without her notice. "You are on way to regaining belief! Jack will be happy!"

Raven rolls her eyes. "He didn't seem too happy."

North blinks. "You mean you already see him?"

Raven nods. "Of course. He saved me from... Pitch..."

The name of the Boogeyman silences the large man, shining face darkening into one of seriousness.

"You can see Pitch? He spoke with you?"

A sharp bark of laughter escapes Raven. "Spoke? He _chased _me through town, like I was some damn animal and he was the hunter!"

North is about to say something when a Yeti knocks on the door. In their indecipherable language, he explains the other Guardians have arrived, minus Jack Frost.

"Well, we are about to see how far belief extends! Follow me!"

Raven realizes there's nothing else she can do, so she does as she's instructed, standing and following the bearded man with some difficulty. As the adrenaline from the chase and the flight recedes, fatigue and pain settle heavily over the woman.

This does not keep Raven from looking around the workshop in childish curiosity. Memories re-surface as if in a haze, some teasing her with their presence while others are more willing to make themselves known. Are the memories she remembers things she truly experienced, or are they simply wonderful dreams she dreamt to escape the hellish life in which she'd been thrown?

Images of riding atop a Yeti's shoulder, of playing tag with the little Elves, of helping North chisel one of his miniature ice villages circle in Raven's mind, worsening her already sickening headache.

It isn't until she sees the Globe of Belief that the last Guardian zips into her head and into her physical body.

"I can't believe you're here in the North Pole, Raven! I remember when you were no taller than North's knee! You've grown so tall and well! Look at you! Beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, shining white teeth-"

"Toothiana, let the girl breathe."

The Tooth Fairy retreats from the hug, cheeks dusting a bright red as she grins sheepishly at Bunnymund.

"Besides, this ain't no house call, is it?" Bunnymund asks the question to both Raven and North, gracing them both with his green gaze.

Raven shakes her head, about to speak, when a cold wind flutters through the workshop, upsetting papers, toys, and Elves. Jack floats from a ceiling window, landing softly in Raven. He smiles weakly at her.

"Jamie and Sophie are fine, though Pitch gave Sophie a nightmare. They're worried for you."

Raven crosses her arm. "It's a nice sentiment, but I don't need their worry..."

"So ya sayin' Pitch went afta' the olda' believers?"

Jack nods, the solemn look out of place on his usually grinning face.

"What would he want with them?" Toothiana twitters, fluttering above their heads, wringing her hands in worry.

"They're not children, so they shouldn't be as frightened of him..."

Raven laughs coldly, waving her hand at North. "The Boogeyman is terrifying, no matter your age. He is all the fear, darkness, and violence in the world. His nightmares will make you cringe and follow you into the light." Raven glares at the ground. "Children find the Boogeyman frightening but are able to overcome his evil thanks to all of you. We adults don't have that advantage. Living nightmares are a part of life..."

When she clenches her hands, Raven notices a strange feeling crawling down her knuckles. She looks at her hands, just now noticing the blood dripping from the wounds she'd inflicted with her own fingernails. The hand with which she punched Pitch is beginning to darken into an ugly purple color, the knuckles swelling. Had she really hit the Boogeyman that hard?

Sandy floats forward, sending a scolding look at each Guardian before his images tell them they're horrible hosts. Raven is standing in front of them hurt and probably freezing in nothing but her pajamas and bare feet. The woman shrugs. She's been unable to feel her hands or feet for some time, but thought nothing of it when confronted with the strange circumstances to which she's been introduced.

"We will have to ask you about your experience with Pitch later, when you have rest and food under belt... A hot bath and new clothes probably won't hurt, either." North's voice is apologetic at having ignored her needs for so long in his excitement.

North is going to ask a Yeti to escort Raven around, while Jack moves forward, opening his mouth to say he'll take care of her. Sandy shakes his head, taking Raven's hand gently in his own and leading her through the small mass of Yetis that have accumulated during the short conversation.

"She's changed..." Tooth murmurs, wings drooping. Bunnymund nods.

"Sum'thin happened, and it wasn' pretty. She hasn' acted as if she wants ta share, though, so we've kept quiet."

Jack slams his staff against the ground in frustration. "Why won't she trust us?! She believes again, so why doesn't she talk to us?!"

North lays his hand on the frost Spirit's shoulder. "Calm yourself, Jack. She will tell when ready. This must be a lot for her to take in. Remember, she is no longer child. They are only ones who can believe in inherent good of the world."

Deep blue eyes train on the last place Raven was seen. "It looks as if only thing Raven believes in is inherent bad..."

/x/x/x/


	10. Calm Before the Storm

_A/N: Ergh, I've been sick since Christmas Eve, and haven't had the ability to sit down and give Raven the writing she deserves. I know it's been more than a week, and I feel really bad about that. Hopefully my updates will return to a more normal schedule now that I'm feeling better... Or at least there won't be another week between my updates._

_This is shorter than a few previous chapters, but that's because this is slightly filler. Explaining what's happening in different areas, foreshadowing for future chapters, etc. etc._

/x/x/x/

Raven looks around the room she's told is her room for as long as she stays at the North Pole. She has been given flannel pajamas to replace her flimsy pajama pants and tank top, and feeling has returned to her hands and feet. The room is fancier than anything she has seen before. She turns to Sandy with an uncomfortable look.

"Are you sure it's alright that I stay here?"

Sandy nods, smiling gently as he floats over to the bed while keeping his eyes on Raven. He motions for her to lay down, miming that it's late and she deserves to reclaim her lost sleep. Raven smirks, crossing and rubbing her arms.

"You really think I can get to sleep after all this, Sandy?"

Sandy smirks at her, pointing to himself. He's the Sandman. She'll be able to sleep comfortably with his help, but only if she wants to sleep. Raven sighs, running a hand through her hair.

"You're not going to leave me alone until I agree, are you?"

The woman doesn't wait for Sandy's reply, walking over to the bed and climbing into it hesitantly. It's much too large for one person, but the sheets are warm and soft while the pillows feel like clouds beneath her head. Blue eyes find Sandy's golden eyes seconds before he begins working his magic. Raven's eyes close without her permission, and she's sound asleep within a few minutes.

Sandy nods in satisfaction, pulling the sheets under Raven's chin before he turns and floats out of the room. He motions to a nearby Yeti, telling him to keep watch over the woman and if anything seems amiss to alert the Guardians at once. When the Yeti agrees, Sandy leaves to re-join his fellow Guardians in the Globe room.

/x/x/x/

"So what are we supposed to do about Pitch?" Toothiana asks in worry, fluttering just above the Globe of Belief, her eyes never straying from the lights littering the surface.

"It seems Pitch is targeting older believers. Why he is doing so, I cannot say. It would be easier to target younger believers." North muses, stroking his beard.

Bunnymund huffs in annoyance. "I don' care whetha' he's targetin' the younga' or olda' believers, he's targetin' believers. We needta find a way ta protect 'em!"

Sandy listens in silence, his eyes training on their youngest member. Jack has been less than cheerful since Raven's return to Burgess. The boy is leaning against the wall, hugging his staff to his body, eyes over-shadowed by his hoodie.

The Sandman floats over to Jack, ducking in height just enough to catch the boy's eye. Jack smiles at Sandy, though the older Guardian can tell it's not a true smile. Pictures begin appearing above his head, the images cycling slowly so Jack can understand Sandy.

"What do you mean I'm not acting like myself, Sandy?"

Jack tries to brush off his strange behavior, but the Sandman is having none of his excuses. With a reprimanding look, Sandy repeats the cycle of images, causing Jack to grunt in frustration.

"She's been gone for years, Sandy, and when she finally comes back, she doesn't even remember us."

Sandy shakes his head. All children normally grow out of their belief of the Guardians. It's part of the cycle. Children will grow up and have their own children. They will tell the stories of the Guardians to their children, making them believe. That is how the cycle has lasted for as long as the Guardians have existed...

Until Jack joined the Guardians.

Jack laughs quietly, intently watching the sand images of Jamie and Sophie above Sandy's head.

"Those two aren't normal by any means. They faced down the Boogeyman and won."

Sandy nods, smiling in encouragement as a picture of Raven appears above his head followed closely by a picture of Raven and Jack hugging and smiling. Jack stares at the image, a look close to that of pained disbelief causing his normally happy features to somber.

"I don't know if that can happen, Sandy. I mean, what if she doesn't recall what happened... What if she doesn't remember anything about her time in Burgess before her move?"

Sandy waves Jack's worries away, telling the younger spirit that she'll remember. When Raven does remember, Jack will have to be able to approach her and address the argument all those years ago.

"I'll keep it in mind, Sandy. Just don't hold your breath that's ever going to happen." Jack pats Sandy on the shoulder before removing his hood with a smile. The two spirits join the other three Guardians in front of the Globe, attempting to catch up on the planning to find and defeat Pitch before he can cause more damage.

/x/x/x/

Raven's dreams consist of memories of happier times... Times the woman has long since forgotten due to her uncle's actions while she was still a young child. As she dreams, she remembers. The memories are painful. They remind her what her life was like before meeting her aunt and uncle, before being forced into the experiments and treatments her uncle insisted upon when her childish beliefs were not disappearing fast enough.

Though Sandy's dreams for Raven are pure and good, as they should be, they will bring Raven much grief upon awakening.

/x/x/x/

Pitch storms around the Globe of Belief in his lair, eyes glaring at the ground. His hand shifts to his aching side where the human female punched him in their meeting. He scowls. Nothing like that has ever happened to the Boogeyman before, and it infuriates him. He doesn't understand why Raven attacked him, even when he could literally taste her fear on his tongue.

She will need to be trapped the next time Pitch attempts to frighten her, or he will have to be a safe distance away from the woman. The Nightmare King refuses to put himself in the position to be hurt again. A Nightmare whinnies at him softly in question. Pitch growls at it. The horse shies away from its livid master, the clopping of its hooves echoing around the great room.

Pitch stops his pacing, turning his yellow gaze to the Globe. There are now three lights where once there wasn't any. The Boogeyman bares his sharp teeth in an evil grin, laughter filling the once quiet realm.

"The next time we meet, it will not end nicely."

/x/x/x/

"How're you feeling, Sophie?"

The look of worry on her brother's face has Sophie feeling guilty. She had woken him up over a bad dream like she was still five-years-old.

"I'm okay... Sorry about all this, Jamie."

Jamie shakes his head while ruffling his younger sister's hair. "Pitch isn't someone you want to play around with, Sophie. Don't be ashamed at having woken me up. Adults can be scared of the Boogeyman just like children."

Sophie stares at her brother through her tousled hair. "Are you scared of him, Jamie?" The question is asked softly, as if the blonde is afraid the spirit in question will hear her.

Jamie averts his eyes to the darkest corner of his room, a thoughtful look on his face. Finally, the brunette nods as he turns his gaze back to his sister.

"Yes. I'm scared of him, Sophie. I'm scared of what he can do to us. He's been in exile or whatever since we were little. You probably don't even remember when you first saw him, you were so tiny." Jamie smiles fondly at his sister, who sticks her tongue out at him.

"His own fear was his downfall then, but I think he's had the time to come to terms with that fear. He won't be so easily defeated this time around... He's never had the opportunity to frighten older believers like us, either."

Sophie frowns, drawing her knees to her chest. "So there's no way of knowing what he'll do at all?"

Jamie shakes his head, sighing as he falls back into his pillow. Staring up at his ceiling, Jamie can't shake the sense that things were about to quickly move beyond their control.

/x/x/x/

Jack sighs in frustration as he leans against his staff. The Guardians' planning is going nowhere but headfirst into an argument between Bunnymund and North. The ice elf decides to sneak away from the impromptu meeting, putting his finger over his mouth as a couple of little elves begin jingling in excitement at his approach.

They follow him like lost puppies as he exits the Globe room, tension disappearing as soon as he's out of earshot of the raised voices in the previous room. Jack watches the elves dance around his feet, chuckling when one of them knocks another over in its excitement.

Jack squats down, motioning for the elves to move closer. They do so eagerly, as they are always willing to help.

"Do you know which room Sandy put Raven in? The human woman I brought with me earlier?"

The elves share a look, chattering in the gibberish that only they and somehow North understood, before grinning widely at Jack. They began tugging on his hoodie sleeves, almost pulling him over with their surprising strength.

"Alright, alright, already! I'll follow you guys, no need to knock me over and carry me to her!" Jack laughs, standing up to follow the little helpers carefully so as not to trod on them by accident. North wasn't kidding whenever he complained the little oddballs were always underfoot.

Though to Jack's amazement, the little elves are silent as they push open the door to Raven's room, even holding their fingers over their lips to shush Jack before allowing him to enter. They waddle in, climbing up the sides of the bed to look over the sleeping Raven. The watching Yeti grunts at them in warning, but doesn't move when he sees they don't mean any harm.

Jack's footsteps are non-existent as he approaches Raven's sleeping form. He smiles to himself upon noticing Sandy's dreamsand hovering above her head. The little images show a group of children playing in the snow. Jack can easily pick out Raven and Jamie. A miniature of himself then fades into the scene, picking up Jamie and dropping him in a snowdrift.

Jack smiles softly. He remembers that day. It was the first day of winter after their defeat of Pitch. Jack had been worried his young believers would have stopped believing in him after a year of not seeing him, but their belief held true then just as strongly as it does now.

So the memories are still there in Raven's mind. Then why has she forgotten all of them but Sandy? Why does she still act as if she doesn't recall the times she had shared with the Guardians?

Jack nods to the Yeti as he passes by the creature, taking up residence on the windowsill. The Yeti grumbles his annoyance at having his personal space invaded by both Jack Frost and the little elves who have snuggled against Raven's side and arm, but allows them to stay in the room as long as they behave. Sandy had given the Yeti a job, and the creature is going to see it through, even if that means throwing Jack out of the workshop.

Through all the activity, Raven sleeps and dreams.

/x/x/x/


	11. Anxiety

/x/x/x/

Raven wakes with the rising sun. She blinks against the light attacking her eyes and rolls over with a low groan, knowing she can't go back to sleep now that she's awake. She yawns and stretches before her eyes completely focus on her surroundings. Her breath catches in her throat at the sight of a sleeping Jack Frost leaning against the wall. His chin rests on one of his bent knees while the side of his head rests against his staff. She smiles upon hearing the spirit's soft snoring.

The Yeti watches the woman from his position next to the door. The elves are long gone much to the Yeti's relief, hunger forcing them to troop out of the room in search of sustenance. The little creatures were getting antsy until their stomachs distracted them.

The chill from the floor meets Raven's bare feet as she slides from the bed and moves towards Jack. She kneels in front of him, her arms resting on her knees, and studies his sleeping countenance. If she met him on the street, she would think he's younger than her at first glance. She can't find any evidence of negative emotions. His skin is flawless, smooth as porcelain and as beautiful as his namesake.

Blushing, Raven stands abruptly and turns to address the Yeti by the door. He grunts before she can speak and motions for her to follow him. She spares the sleeping imp another look before following the Yeti from the room and down the hall.

The farther the Yeti leads Raven down the hall, the more she notices faint voices growing louder and louder. She fidgets, realizing there's an on-going argument.

"Ermm, can't we just go back and wait for them to come get me? They must be pretty busy, being important holiday figures and all," Raven says.

The Yeti shakes his head but otherwise ignores her. North told him to bring the girl to them when she woke up, and that's what he's going to do. However, the human's discomfort doesn't escape his notice. The large creature stops in front of a large door Raven vaguely remembers from the night before. The loud voices are coming from the room behind it. She flinches at an exceptionally loud rumble.

Raven blinks when the Yeti pushes her behind his large body before he opens the door. The argument cascades over her ears. She clenches her fists, but follows the Yeti into the verbal storm. The Guardians are arguing about what to do with her and how to handle the reappearance of Pitch, though from what she can gather, North and Bunnymund can't agree on anything.

A soft roar from the Yeti startles Raven into taking a step back, but the Guardians are effectively silenced.

"Ah! What are you doing in here? I thought you had the watching of Raven to do?" North sounds annoyed not only with Bunnymund but his helper, too.

The Yeti grunts and moves to the side, showing a pale Raven hiding behind him. The looks on the Guardians's faces would usually be funny, but the raven-haired woman isn't laughing. She averts her eyes from the holiday spirits and crosses her arms.

"If I'm such a problem, you can take me back to Pennsylvania. I can handle myself without supernatural help," she mutters.

"Oh, sweetie, you're not a problem! We've just never had something like this happen before!" Toothiana flutters around Raven, anxious to make the woman smile.

Raven chuckles, the smile she gives Toothiana not reaching her eyes.

"So I'm unnatural. You act as if that's something new to me. Look, I'm not terribly frightened of Pitch. He surprised me is all. I'll be ready for him next time. There's no need to fight because of me."

Toothiana's smile wilts at Raven's words. She sends a helpless look over her shoulder at the other three Guardians. North and Bunnymund share an awkward look. Sandy floats towards Raven and takes one of her hands in his small palms. She glances at him. He frowns at the watery look in her eyes, question marks appearing above his head. She shakes her own, giving him a shrug in reply.

The Sandman sighs and pats her hand. She grits her teeth and pulls back from the dream bringer.

"I don't need your pity," she snaps, turning her back to them. "If you really care that much, where were you when I moved? Where were you when my uncle lost his temper? Where were you when the nurses and doctors called me crazy? Where were you when my childhood was destroyed?"

Raven grins at the resulting silence. Guilt tripping is the only thing she still has in her arsenal, though the people it works on are few. Her uncle knew she was manipulative and sent her to the asylum to get her out of the house and away from her aunt, the only person who still sympathized on Raven's side.

"We weren't there."

The woman turns her head, her blue eyes finding Jack's. He stands in the doorway, holds his staff loosely at his side, and his eyes never stray from Raven's. She scoffs and breaks eye contact first.

"Of course you weren't. The doctors and drugs made sure of that. Even if you wanted to visit me, I wouldn't have recognized you after awhile."

"You keep speaking of this asylum place. Why do you speak so disdainfully?" North asks.

Raven shrugs.

"I don't see why you care, but I'm legally insane, as decided by the doctors my uncle hired when I wouldn't let my childish fantasies disappear as fast he wanted. My belief in you fairy tale spirits smashed what hope for the future I had. Businesses don't want to hire a raving lunatic, and so I was forced to live under my uncle's abuse for years. The only reason I made it to Burgess is because my aunt took pity on me. She said a change of scenery would do me good, how visiting my hometown would put things in perspective."

She smirks coldly at the Guardians.

"The only perspective I have is I truly _am_ insane, to believe in spirits who don't care one damn bit for me after all the years of pain I've endured!"

Raven grunts and turns on her heel, pushing past a mortified Jack Frost. Angry tears sting at her eyes as she storms through the halls back towards her room. A feeling of betrayal rises in her throat. She runs the rest of the way to her room, throwing the door open and running to the adjoining bathroom. With nothing in her stomach, the only thing she can do is dry-heave over the sink. The woman leans her head against the mirror and quietly sobs.

/x/x/x/

Jack watches Raven's retreating back, part of him wanting to follow her and the other part telling him it won't do any good. When she disappears around the corner, he turns wide eyes to the other Guardians. Sandy frowns at the look in the youngest's eyes. Even though Raven has been through a lot, her experiences don't give her the right to purposefully cause pain to the people trying to help her. He'll need to talk with her when she calms down. For now, however, the ice elf needs him more than the human.

Sandy directs his pictures towards Jack, telling him not to worry about Raven's outburst. Jack leans against the wall Raven had pushed him against and cradles his head in his hands.

"Am I doing something wrong?" He whispers, his voice wavering.

"Of course not, Jack! You are doing everything right!" North booms.

The previous argument is forgotten as the four older Guardians turn their attention to Jack.

"It's not your fault. It's her horrid uncle's fault! She's been broken for simply being human, Jack," Toothiana replies, her feathers bristling with anger.

"It'll be alrigh', Frostbite. Jus' give her time."

Sandy watches silently. They're able to comfort one of their own so simply. Raven doesn't remember what it's like to be comforted and loved, and that's where their problem arises. In order to help Raven, they'll have to overhaul years of conditioning and abuse.

But will their attempts do any good?

/x/x/x/


End file.
